Limestone has been known since ancient times. The pyramids of ancient Egypt and the Greek Parthenon were made from it. But stone is used not only as a material for construction. Shamans and priests believed that calcite also had magical properties. That is why amulets and talismans were made from the mineral. How can we use calcite today? Read on.
History and origin
Calcite stone has long been known to mankind. The name comes from the Greek language from the term that denoted the reduction in volume of heated burnt powdered lime. In Latin, lime was called "calc".
Calcite is called:
- stone flower;
- stone rose;
- paper spar;
- heavenly stone.
Iceland spar is a transparent stone valued in optics.
It is called a flower because the mineral’s shoots resemble petals. The rock is called paper because the plates are thin and transparent. Heavenly – a variety that polarizes light.
Calcite has been known to mankind for many centuries. Blocks for the pyramids in Egypt and the Parthenon in Greece were made from it. Having seen past centuries, the marble sculptures are made of calcite. The largest natural monument is the Barrier Reef, whose length exceeds 2,000 km. This object is formed by calcite. Much smaller, but equally famous is the white calcite mushroom, found in mercury origin. The weight of the specimen is 15 kg.
The composition, shades, and parameters depend on the geochemical characteristics of the components. Calcium is one of the most important elements on our planet. In nature, it exists only in the form of a divalent cation. This mineral is one of the most common in the planet’s crust. It is formed during numerous geological processes, forming chalk, limestone, and marble.
Calcium is a rock-forming silicate substance found in carbonates. It is most often found in the form of calcite. Crystals of various shapes and sizes are formed in hydrothermal veins. Geologists value calcite carbonatites, which include magnetite and rare metals, phlogopite and pyroxenes. Most carbonatites come from magma.
Hydrothermal crystals form during limestone recrystallization.
Calcite – stone flower
Interesting Facts
There is a lot of fascinating information about this stone:
- The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is made of calcite;
- there are more than seven hundred varieties of these crystals;
- under the influence of high temperatures (470 °C) the mineral is transformed into aragonite;
- calcite does not dissolve in warm water; coral reefs found in cold seas are made of it;
- In one of the mercury deposits, a formation in the form of a white mushroom, consisting of a mineral, was discovered. Its weight reaches 15 kg.
Calcite is considered a fairly soft stone, which is widely used throughout the world. When handled correctly, the crystal will help solve health problems and change your life for the better. The main thing is to accurately determine the purpose of using the gem and choose the appropriate option.
Physical and chemical properties of the mineral
The properties of inexpensive calcite stone are determined by the chemical and physical characteristics of the rock. The mineral is on average half formed by calcium oxide. The second main component is carbon dioxide. Possible impurities of zinc, manganese, strontium, iron.
The abundance of variations of isomorphic impurities is known. Iceland spar is distinguished, which has no color, is transparent, and is valuable in optics. The specific quality of the rock is double refraction of light . Mineral parameters:
- ditrigonal-scalenohedral symmetry;
- colorlessness or milky color;
- presence of impurities;
- glass reflection;
- white line;
- matte finish;
- pearlescent cleavage planes;
- fragility (hardness – 3 units);
- density 2.7;
- granular fracture.
The stone is quickly destroyed in hydrochloric acid. The process is accompanied by hissing. Compression and twinning electrifies the rock. Some varieties are luminescent.
Pink calcite is colored due to inclusions of manganese
Diagnostic signs
In shape, composition, appearance, the breed resembles:
- fluorite;
- aragonite;
- quartz;
- gypsum;
- barite;
- dolomite.
The differences are in hardness, cleavage, and reaction with hydrochloric acid. Based on these parameters, one can distinguish between calcium carbonate and chabazite, amblygonite.
Most often, lime spar is confused with gypsum, dolomite, and magnesite .
The easiest way to distinguish it from plaster is to try to scratch it with your fingernail. If traces remain, plaster is determined with certainty. The most reliable way to determine against the background of magnesite and dolomite is a reaction with hydrochloric acid.
Description of calcite stone
The mineral is calcium carbonate. There are many varieties of it. This is a versatile and multifunctional stone. Its various names are known. The name calcite is translated from Greek as “lime,” which is completely true. Until the mid-19th century, the gem was called “lime spar.”
Its chemical composition contains not only calcium carbonate. It also contains impurities of iron, magnesium, zinc and manganese. They influence the appearance, shape and physical and chemical characteristics of the mineral.
Place of Birth
Encyclopedic descriptions mention the following rock deposits:
- Iceland;
- Siberia;
- Lower Tunguska;
- Ural;
- Middle Asia.
One of the largest is near Helgastadir in Iceland, containing optical crystals. The rocks produced near Alston Moor in England are valuable. There is a Příbram deposit in Czechoslovakia. Sandy calcite is extracted in Fontainebleau. The peculiarity of this rock is that it is mixed with sand by more than half.
The colors and shapes of calcite are surprisingly varied.
Large transparent calcite crystals increase the industrial importance of the Lower Tunguska region. The rock contains veins of cellite and prehnite. Giant nests of single crystals are known. The specimens found in the Rift reach half a meter, and the specimens from Luku-Munkambi exceed 2 meters.
In Central Asia, calcite is a common type mined in:
- Pskem-Ugamsk;
- Zeravshan-Gissar.
The deposits are small but numerous.
The lithographic stone was found in the Caucasus, in some regions of Ukraine, near St. Petersburg, and in Germany.
Pearls, otherwise called sea tears, are mined in the Persian and Mexican Gulfs, different parts of the Pacific Ocean, and the Red Sea. Places rich in pearls are known near the Japanese, Indian, Venezuelan, and Australian coasts. Areas rich in pearls are located in areas heated by sea currents that can spread heat.
Calcite is mined both on land and from sea and ocean waters
Varieties, colors and characteristics of calcite
The use of the mineral is varied; each subtype has its own areas. Main breed types:
- simbircite (first found in Simbirsk, typical color – yellow, red);
- argentin (plates with a characteristic silvery sheen);
- anthraconite (black rock containing bitumen);
- Iceland spar (colorless, transparent, refracting light beam into 2 waves);
- manganocalcite (including elements of manganese, giving a pinkish color).
The most famous and widely used types are limestone and marble. Sometimes marble onyx is found.
The samples vary quite a bit in color. The shade depends on the characteristics and amount of impurities. Thus, bright red is explained by cinnabar, blue and green by copper, brown and yellow by iron. Raspberry, orange, and lilac calcite is occasionally found.
A valuable, beautiful variety of the breed is pearls. Colors range from delicate pink and light white to blue-black. Yellowish, greenish, bluish, gray, and silver varieties have been found. Pearls have an attractive pearlescent sheen.
There are types of spar:
- moon milk (suspension);
- satin (fibrous-silky);
- smelly (containing hydrogen sulfide);
- mountain flour (powdered);
- sengilite (including mother of pearl, marl, pyrite).
Spar is a brittle mineral
Talismans and amulets made of mineral
The properties of a stone depend on its color. Red calcite should be worn by those who live in constant fear, who were once greatly frightened, or especially suspicious natures who worry about any reason. Orange calcite is recommended for wearing by people prone to stress and phobias. Yellow calcite, also known as honey, helps a person forget unpleasant events and puts them in a positive mood.
Areas of use
Calcite is a magical, healing stone. Some types are used to make jewelry and decor. The breed is valued in construction and the optical industry.
Dark varieties are used for making and decorating boxes, decorative figurines, and candle stands.
Iceland spar is a material used in the production of polarizing devices. Most often, nicoli is made from it. Colorless, perfectly transparent non-twinned specimens and fragments without cracks are valued. The minimum size is 2 cm.
Lithographic stone is used in the printing industry.
Jewelry and decor
In the jewelry industry, spar is rarely used due to its fragility and resistance to scratches. Due to their decorative qualities, blue, yellow, and orange shades are valued. Satin varieties and onyx are used for jewelry.
Pendants with spar are popular in lithotherapy
Other areas
In construction, limestone is an ingredient in lime. They use it to dilute cement.
Marble is a valuable finishing material.
Iceland spar is a material for the production of lasers and optics.
In the chemical industry, sugar, soda, and lime are produced using pure limestone. In the metallurgical industry, limestone containing a minimal amount of sulfur and phosphorus is a flux used in blast furnaces. Calcite is an ingredient in the production of plastic and synthetic rubber.
In agriculture, spar is a material used for liming to reduce soil acidity.
Calcite products
Due to the low strength values, gold products with calcite are rare. The price of the mineral is low, which leads to a decrease in the cost of the finished product. Silver is more common, but the most common is not jewelry, but products made of copper, cupronickel and other alloys.
The fragility of the mineral leads to a large percentage of losses during production. However, craftsmen with experience and dexterity make beautiful and high-quality jewelry that delights with its beauty for many decades.
Calcite is cleaned by mechanical cleaning or special chemicals that do not contain acid. The mineral is then cut and polished. Add to the product and cover with metal legs.
The stone is used to make earrings, rings, pendants: jewelry that is least susceptible to mechanical stress. It is practically not found in bracelets due to the risk of deformation.
Mostly colored stones with high transparency are chosen for products. The cost of the finished product is relatively low and fluctuates around $10 per piece of jewelry such as costume jewelry. On commodity exchanges, an untreated stone 5-7 cm will cost about $150.
Magic properties
Calcite is a mineral with a strong aura and mystical qualities. It helps along the path of life and reveals the strength of personality. The power of a talisman largely depends on its shape.
Calcite is suitable for meditation. They choose a color that attracts today, set a sample of spar in front of them and get ready to practice. They dim the lighting, sit comfortably, slow down their breathing, visualizing the golden light surrounding the body, entering inside with each breath. With exhalation, negative energy, stress, and disappointment are released. They bless the vibrations, sending them out into the Universe. Practice duration is 5 minutes. Then the stone is taken in the left hand, attuned to it and the light emitted by the sample is imagined. Feeling ready to complete, slowly count from 10 to 1 and imagine that your feet are firmly on the ground, your roots going into the planet. Then count from 10 to 1 again, take a deep breath and finish the spiritual practice.
Spar balls are used for meditation
Overall Impact
Calcite is an amulet that helps the white magician. It cannot be given as a gift, but can be passed on to heirs. If there is no one to get the breed from along the line of kinship, they buy an amulet.
Thanks to its magical qualities, the mineral helps people seeking to develop talents and hidden abilities. The breed enhances clairvoyance abilities, accelerates learning, mastering skills and knowledge.
Calcite druse is an excellent remedy against laziness. This pattern is useful for those who like to lie on the couch. Knowing their shortcomings, they acquire a talisman that persistently but gradually changes their worldview, charges them with vigor, and inspires them to achieve accomplishments. Calcite will help predict the development of the situation, avoid problems, and quickly solve existing ones.
Spar coordinates energy flows, influencing the owner and the biofield of the world, ordering and strengthening the personality. The owner of the item is calm, does not act impulsively, and is not subject to rash actions. Under the influence of the amulet, logical, creative thinking develops, and it is easier to assess prospects. Breed recommended:
- entrepreneurs;
- economists;
- to the bosses.
Calcite helps travelers, protects them from accidents, and simplifies the route. Spar talismans are recommended for car owners.
Calcite souvenirs - talismans for car enthusiasts
Color
The influence of the breed is determined by the shade.
- Pink calcite is a source of vitality and self-confidence. It supports the will of the owner, activates intuition, increases insight, and simplifies achieving the goal.
- Black, blue, heavenly mineral is a talisman that protects against dark forces and negative external influences. Such a stone will cleanse the biofield, reveal the best qualities of the owner, softening the shortcomings.
- Yellow spar is a sign of faith in the best in a person. The amulet supports the optimism of the owner. The shade is recommended for meditative practices. Yellow calcite amulets make everyday life bright, pleasant, filled with events and meetings.
For personal happiness, they acquire manganocalcite . A delicate pink stone brings harmony to interpersonal relationships. The amulet will help a lonely person find love and teach an insecure person to value himself.
Transparent Iceland spar is known for its unique play of light
Rules for using the mineral
In order for calcite to accumulate strength, constant contact with the owner is necessary. The stone gets used to the owner and harmonizes with his energy field. A lost item loses its quality.
The most powerful gem is unprocessed. The energy of this breed is maximum.
Calcite is incompatible with negative actions and motives. He only helps a good person.
When interacting with a specimen for the first time, they listen to the sensations. If a negative feeling arises, they refuse to purchase.
Therapeutic effect
Calcite is used in lithotherapy. The effect depends on the shade.
- The red breed makes a person more confident and helps to withstand stress. It is used in the treatment of heart and blood diseases.
- Honey spar is a source of joy and harmony. It is useful for kidney, intestinal, and stomach diseases, and makes a person alert. The mineral will help you accept changes, let go of grievances and negativity.
- Red varieties affect the gastrointestinal tract and improve the functioning of the reproductive system. The owner of such a talisman is protected from stress, fear, and mental disorders.
- The pink variety strengthens the energy field and protects against bad dreams. The talisman will improve your night's rest.
- Greenish varieties have a comprehensive effect on a person, helping with diseases of the body and psyche.
- Blue spar reduces blood pressure and has a positive effect on nerves. In lithotherapy it is considered a pain reliever. Blue calcite expands the imagination and relieves irritation.
Calcite is a healing mineral useful for various diseases.
Lithotherapists believe that a white stone will help with toothache, a black stone will heal an injury, and a blue stone will cope with pulmonary diseases. For joint pain, the red breed is recommended; for infectious pathology, the green breed is recommended. It also stimulates the healing of broken bones. Colorless calcite is an antiseptic, gold is an activator of brain activity.
Lithotherapists consider spar to be a breed that strengthens the immune system and is a means of preventing osteochondrosis and radiculitis. The stone is useful for cataracts. A sample of calcite set in silver relieves colds.
For the product to help, it is constantly worn in contact with bare skin, as close as possible to the painful area.
In oncology, calcite is dangerous because it stimulates the growth of all tissues, including diseased ones.
Definition of naturalness
The mineral is not very expensive, but... Building stones are not used in jewelry. And those that are suitable for this are easily counterfeited. Fakes made of glass and plastic are much cheaper. The income is very significant.
The main thing is that in a natural mineral these are defects. You need to look at it carefully and for a long time, and you will see many micro cracks, various inclusions and air bubbles. It is also characterized by uneven coloring.
How to care for stone
The peculiarity of calcite is fragility. In order for the product to serve for a long time, it is important to take care of it and store it in a suitable place.
- The breed is susceptible to external factors. Avoid interaction with chemical reagents and prolonged ultraviolet irradiation.
- A case lined with soft material inside is suitable for storage. You can use a textile bag. Spar is not stored with other rocks.
- To clean, use soapy water and a soft cloth.
- To recharge with energy, hold the specimen under running water, then wipe it with textiles and warm it in the soft rays of the sun.
You cannot drop or hit an object.
Due to its ability to accumulate energy, spar needs to be regularly cleansed of negativity. This is especially important if the owner often comes with a stone to a technogenic zone or works in a conflict-ridden team. To cleanse an object of dark energy, hold it under running water. The city dweller is advised to travel outdoors more often, making sure to take the amulet with him. The intense energy of a large settlement weakens the magical powers of the mineral. Being in nature, he quickly recovers.
Calcite is charged with running water
How to distinguish natural stone from fake
Calcite is an inexpensive rock that is rarely counterfeited. More often there is imitation of semi-precious varieties, the cost of which is higher than plastic and glass. To verify its natural origin, they carefully study the appearance and parameters. This is especially important if the mineral is purchased for magic or lithotherapy.
- Transparent natural calcite visually enlarges objects.
- The natural specimen has defects. The fake doesn't have them.
- Iceland spar specifically refracts light. It is difficult to imitate this quality with glass.
The most reliable way to check the authenticity of the breed is to monitor the reaction with acid. Just one drop of the reagent is enough for a strong interaction.
The impact splits the product into small regular crystals.
When purchasing, they check the authenticity by assessing the weight of the item. Spar is heavier than plastic and glass.
Calcite is counterfeited with plastic, glass
Compatibility with Zodiac signs and names
Calcite is a universal stone suitable for almost any zodiac sign. When choosing an amulet, pay attention to the color.
- Warm shades are optimal for those born under fiery constellations. Yellow and orange varieties are especially useful.
- Blue and transparent varieties are suitable for those born under water signs.
- Earth signs are protected by pink stones. They make people friendlier, more successful, luckier.
- The air element harmonizes with green calcite.
The breed helps most of all:
- Aries;
- Sagittarius;
- Leos.
Scorpios should be careful with spar.
Calcite is useful for almost all zodiac signs
Compatibility with other stones
Calcite is suitable for lovers of products with different types. Transparent, beautiful, non-conflicting material is combined with other minerals and looks like a worthy companion to semi-precious, precious varieties.
The best frame is silver. Gold extinguishes the energy of the mineral, cupronickel absorbs the human aura, preventing spar from interacting with the owner’s biofield.
Calcite combines with different rocks and minerals. There are no undesirable, negative energy combinations.
Spar is a non-conflict stone that can be combined with other rocks
Jewelry with mineral
Jewelry made from calcite is quite rare. But there are craftsmen who can beautifully polish and select a setting for a stone. Most often among the decorations you can find:
- earrings;
- rings;
- pendants, pendants.
It is much more difficult to find calcite bracelets.
The stone will fit well into any style, the main thing is to choose the right outfit. A light cocktail dress or blouse with classic pastel trousers or a skirt is suitable for this.
Thanks to the wide selection of calcite shades, you can choose a piece of jewelry for any occasion.
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