Calcite

"Iceland Spar"

Exhibiting a stunning variety of colours, including clear (often referred to as Iceland Spar), white, yellow, orange, pink, red, green, blue, brown, and black, Calcite is a carbonate mineral and one of the most common minerals on Earth. Its name originates from the Latin word "calx," meaning "lime," as it is the principal mineral in limestone and marble. Calcite crystals can form in a multitude of shapes, often displaying a remarkable optical property called birefringence or double refraction, where light passing through the crystal is split into two rays, creating a double image of objects viewed through it. Found globally in sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks, significant deposits exist in Mexico, the United States, Brazil, Iceland, and many other countries. With a relatively soft hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale, Calcite is a delicate mineral and requires careful handling, making it less suitable for everyday wear in jewellery compared to harder gemstones. Its lustre is typically vitreous (glassy) to pearly, and it can range from transparent to translucent to opaque, depending on the variety and formation. Calcite has a long history of use, primarily as a building material (limestone and marble) and in industrial applications (cement production). While its softness limits its use in fine jewellery, its beautiful colours and optical properties have made it popular for carvings, ornamental objects, and mineral collections. Iceland Spar, in particular, has been historically significant in the study of optics due to its strong birefringence. Symbolically, Calcite, in its diverse forms, is often associated with energy amplification, cleansing, and emotional release. Different colors are believed to have specific properties; for example, Clear Calcite is linked to clarity and energy flow, while Green Calcite is associated with healing and balance. Caring for Calcite requires extreme gentleness due to its softness and perfect cleavage, which makes it prone to scratching and breaking.