Amber calcite is not amber. Amber is fossil tree resin, and this is calcite, a soft calcium carbonate mineral that is simply honey-colored. It is also sold as honey or golden calcite.
Carbonate · calcite
Amber Calcite
Calcita ámbar
- Palette
- Yellow Orange Brown
- Mined in
- Mexico, Brazil, Czech Republic, Peru, Iceland, Russia, United States, Belgium, United Kingdom
- Hardness
- Mohs 3.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- 1845
- Named for
- its amber-like yellow-orange color
- Also sold as
- honey calcite, golden calcite, yellow calcite
- Intention
- Strength Protection
- Looking for
- Confidence and self-worth Joy Protection
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Sellers sell it as natural, untreated calcite, but no independent test of the dye question was found, so the disclosure is the seller's word. Ask whether the beads are dyed.
Not in our pieces now
250 TONS
The largest calcite crystal on record came from Iceland and weighed about 250 tons.
WILLIAM NICOL
William Nicol (1770-1851) used Iceland spar to invent the first polarizing prism.
TRILOBITE EYES
Trilobites that vanished about 250 million years ago saw the world through compound eyes whose lenses were clear calcite crystals.
What it is
Amber calcite is a yellow-orange to honey-brown calcite, translucent and waxy to glassy when polished. It is calcium carbonate, the same mineral as limestone, and it is not amber: amber is fossil tree resin. The name only describes the color. It is soft, so it is usually tumbled or carved rather than worn hard.
Where it comes from
Orange calcite is found in places such as Chihuahua in Mexico, York in Pennsylvania and Sweden, and most Iceland spar on the market now comes from Mexico because the old Icelandic mine is a nature reserve.
In history
Ancient Egyptians carved calcite, often called alabaster, into vessels, including perfume jars found in Tutankhamun's tomb. A 13th to 14th century Icelandic saga describes a 'sunstone' held up to find the sun on cloudy days, and a clear Iceland spar crystal was recovered from a ship that sank near Alderney in 1592.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, yellow calcite is the stone people keep for self-worth and cheerfulness. It's said to bring confidence, joy and optimism, and a golden piece is also carried as a daily protective stone.
People wear it as jewelry, carry it in a pocket, or hold it in the non-dominant hand, and keep it dry.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, in a pocket, in the non-dominant hand, or as a wire-wrapped pendant.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, amber calcite is paired with the solar plexus chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, in a pocket, in the non-dominant hand. People reach for it when they want confidence and self-worth, joy, protection, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraSolar Plexus
ZodiacCancer
ElementFire
Also calledhoney calcite, golden calcite, yellow calcite
Care
- Soft (Mohs 3): it scratches easily, so keep it away from harder stones and out of pockets with keys.
- Keep it away from water and salt, and from acids, vinegar and cleaners, which dissolve calcite.
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth and store it alone in a pouch.
- Avoid heat and strong sun, which can fade or crack some pieces.
How to tell what you have
- Amber calcite is a trade name that may mean yellow to honey-colored calcite, and it may also be sold for amber-colored material of other kinds, so what you get varies by lot.
- Calcite is soft (about 3 on the Mohs scale) and fizzes in weak acid, which quartz does not; real amber is a resin, floats in salt water, and is much lighter than calcite.
- Look for color that collects at the drill hole or in cracks, which can mean dye, and check that the weight feels like stone, not plastic.
Questions people ask at our table
Is amber calcite the same as amber?
No. Amber is fossilized tree resin. Amber calcite is a yellow-brown calcite, a calcium carbonate mineral, named only for its color.
What is honey calcite?
Another name for the same yellow-orange calcite. The names honey, golden and amber calcite are used interchangeably by sellers.
Is it natural or dyed?
The honey color of true amber calcite is natural, from impurities in the crystal. It is a soft stone that is easy to dye, so ask the seller about very bright pieces.
Can I wear it in water?
No. Calcite is soft and dissolves in mild acids, so keep it dry and away from salt, perfume and cleaners.
Do you carry amber calcite?
No, we do not carry it. Golden tiger eye, lemon jasper and citrine are the stones in our pieces with a similar honey-gold color.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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