Calcite

Calcite, or limestone, is one of the more plentiful stones, coming in a range of colors from black to white, with every shade in between. Approximately 4 percent of Earth’s surface is made up of calcite. Calcite gets its name from chalix, the Greek word for lime. Marble is limestone formed from heat and pressure, and calcite is the cement in many sandstones and shales. Calcite is the basis for many formations found in caves, such as cave veils, cave pearls, stalactites , and stalagmites. Environmentalists are heartened by this because this oceanic biological activity can act as a carbon-dioxide filter and help stem the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere.

The crystals in calcite can take on a thousand different shapes by combining the forms of rhombohedrons, scalahedrons, prisms, and pinacoids, to name but a few. More than 300 forms have been noted in calcite, and the symmetry is nearly unmatched, with many twins.

Calcite is all over the world, but certain conditions have made for very special specimens. In Cornwall, England; Pugh Quarry, Ohio; and Elmwood, Tennessee, are beautifully clear, amber-orange pyramid shapes called dogtooth spar. Mexican onyx, banded with orange, red, tan, brown, yellow, and white and having an appealing marble-like smoothness, is a very common type of calcite used in carvings sold in gift shops around the globe.

Calcite is helpful to bones and joints and is a memory booster. In addition to aiding in retaining information, calcite is a calming agent that can bring clarity to decision-making processes. Green calcite is a terrific support to people in transition, bringing about positive energy in place of the negative. The yellow and gold calcites are quite useful for meditation due to their association with the sun and with light, the sign of the spiritual path and higher knowledge. It is said that these sunny calcites can even help with astral projection. Calcite is a healing stone and is highly recommended for physicians, nurses, and healers to keep at their offices.