Calcite Gemstone
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate. The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 470 °C, and vaterite is even less stable.
Calcite is mostly found in sedimentary rock. Calcite turns into the rock called limestone. Some limestone is made when sea creatures die and their skeletons and shells fall to the bottom of the ocean.
Calcite is mined using quarrying or underground mining. Calcite/limestone is used for making glass, paper, photography, statues, building, and animal food. The Ancient Egyptian Sphinx [below] is made of limestone. Calcite is one of the most important carbonate minerals. It is often referred to as a industrial mineral, and is found in over 300 forms.
Calcite may be any color, from colorless to black, depending upon the other minerals contained in it. Almost all of the ancient alabaster artifacts of ancient Egypt were not really alabaster. The artifacts were actually made of calcite. Calcite has striking beauty and offers much variety in color and form. The name calcite is derived from the Greek word “chalx” which means lime. Calcium carbonate is lime stone and calcite is a beautiful variation that naturally exists in a variety of colors and forms.
Calcite has a special characteristic known as bi-refringent. Anything that you see by looking through a bi-refringent gemstone will appear doubled. The calcite crystal has a light-splitting ability and creates what appears as image duplication. This property is important to gemologists. Calcite is used in an instrument called the calcite dichroscope. This instrument is used to see different colors as they are transmitted through a gemstone.
Gem therapists claim a person who wears golden/yellow calcite will experience wisdom and mental harmony. Red calcite is an energy booster. Orange calcite enhances energy for new beginnings in life. Green calcite provides joy and emotional balance. Blue calcite brings those in authority into righteous power.