Calcite
Mineral Group: CARBONATES
RocksForKids.com
| Calcite is a very common mineral.
It is found in most places on earth. It is a
sedimentary mineral. Calcite crystals come in many different shapes. There are more than 300 different crystal shapes. This is more than any other mineral. People who decide to collect only calcite can have a very interesting collection because there are so many shapes that calcite comes in. One common use for calcite is that it is used in making cement. |
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| Dog-Tooth Calcite Crystals | |||
 SPECIMEN ORIGIN: Lockport Quarry, New York, USA |
The shape of this type of crystal
is called a "dog-tooth" because that is what it looks like.
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 SPECIMEN: Dog-tooth CALCITE |
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 SPECIMEN ORIGIN: LaFarge Quarry, Dundas, Ontario, CANADA |
Other minerals like dolomite are
often found with calcite crystals. Calcite is often found in
vugs
and in veins in sedimentary rocks.
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| Calcite Cemented Limestone Breccia | |||
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| Honey Brown Calcite with Quartz Crystals | |||
 SPECIMEN ORIGIN: Rockwood, Michigan, USA |
Calcite crystals can
also be rhombohedrons (6 sided).
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| Calcite Rhomb | |||
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| Weathered Calcite | |||
 SPECIMEN: Weathered calcite surrounding HORNBLENDE crystals ORIGIN: Eganville, Ontario, CANADA This piece of pink calcite was buried under a thick layer of forest soil. As the water moved along the rock, it eroded it. That is why the calcite is criss-crossed with fine sharp lines and is a darker color. The part of the calcite that was freshly broken or cut, is still a fresh pink color. |
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| Pink Calcite | |||
 This
picture shows a
massive piece of
pink calcite that has been freshly broken. Notice how shiny the surface
is and how pink the color is. This specimen is from the same location as
the weathered piece above. |
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| The following photos are of calcite found by T. Elliott in the LaFarge Quarry, Dundas, Ontario, CANADA | |||
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| Other examples of calcite crystal forms: | |||
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This calcite specimen still looks like a