Orange Calcite

Orange calcite is a coloured variation of the mineral calcite (calcium carbonate), it has an orange hue to it due to the presence of hematite impurities, these particular specimens exhibit a more crystalline, fine grained crystal texture in which the individual crystals are too fine to be seen, however, the crystal have grown and interlocked with each other to form a large mass, known as ‘massive’. Calcite its self is among the most common mineral found naturally, quite often as mineral deposits but also in many sedimentary rocks, either as a cement or as crystal inclusions, particularly limestone. It is well known for being a fairly soft mineral, easily scratched, coming in at 3 on the Mohs scale of hardness. These particular pieces are suitable for enthusiasts and educational use, both because of the calming blue colour and also the crystal structure and as a means to display the various colours a mineral can be found. These particular samples come available in weighted packs starting from 500 grams. The pieces vary in size from 20 mm to 100 mm in size and come supplied in a polythene bag with an information label.