Blue calcite is a real mineral, the blue variety of calcite. It is soft and chalky, and we do not carry it.
Carbonate · Calcite
Blue Calcite
Calcita azul
- Palette
- Blue
- Mined in
- Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Iceland, Peru, Russia, United States
- Hardness
- Mohs 3.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- 1845
- Named for
- Latin calx, 'lime' (calcite, the base mineral)
- Also sold as
- Mexican blue calcite (trade)
- Intention
- Calm
- Looking for
- Calm Rest and meditation Communication Focus and clarity
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Blue calcite sold by bead sellers is usually the natural pale blue material from Argentina; other sellers dye calcite, so ask whether a lot is natural.
Not in our pieces now
SOANE'S MUSEUM
Seti I's sarcophagus, carved from a single block of translucent calcite alabaster, is displayed at Sir John Soane's Museum in London.
ACID TEST
Calcite alabaster fizzes in hydrochloric acid while gypsum alabaster barely reacts, which is how the two stones are told apart.
BAST
Tutankhamun's tomb held an Egyptian alabaster cosmetics jar whose lid is topped by a lioness representing the goddess Bast.
What it is
The blue variety of calcite: a calcium carbonate with a soft, almost chalky surface and a grayish pale blue color. Calcite is the mineral that defines Mohs 3, so blue calcite scratches easily and fizzes in acid.
Where it comes from
Pale blue-gray calcite is collected in Mexico; calcite in general is mined at places like the Santa Eulalia district in Chihuahua, Mexico.
In history
Ancient Egyptians carved calcite, the stone often sold as alabaster, into vessels such as the perfume jars from Tutankhamun's tomb, and Seti I's sarcophagus was cut from a single block of it. In 1669 the Danish scientist Rasmus Bartholin used clear calcite to describe double refraction for the first time.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, it is the stone people reach for when they want a calmer, clearer head. It is also kept for focus and easier conversation.
People keep a piece in a shirt pocket, in the bedroom, or on a table where the family talks.
It is soft and reacts with acid and salt, so it is kept dry and wrapped.
How people wear or keep it: In a shirt pocket, in the bedroom, or on a table where people talk.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, blue calcite is paired with the throat and third eye chakras, 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: in a shirt pocket, in the bedroom, on a table where people talk. People reach for it when they want calm, rest and meditation, communication, 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.
ChakraThroat, Third Eye
ZodiacCancer
ElementFire
Also calledMexican blue calcite (trade)
Care
- Soft at Mohs 3: it scratches from a coin, so keep it away from harder stones and pocket wear.
- It dissolves in acid, so keep it away from vinegar, lemon juice and cleaners, and out of salt.
- Do not soak it in water; wipe with a soft dry cloth.
- Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and heat.
How to tell what you have
- Calcite is soft (Mohs 3) and fizzes in vinegar or acid, while harder blue stones such as lapis, sodalite or chalcedony do not; it also shows a pearly shine on broken faces.
- Very bright or even sky-blue beads may be dyed; look for color pooling at the drill hole and ask for the lot's origin.
What sets the price
Price follows how clear and evenly blue the stone is and whether the color is natural or dyed; calcite is a common, affordable stone, so size and polish matter more than rarity. Cloudy or chalky beads cost less.
Questions people ask at our table
What is blue calcite?
The blue variety of calcite, calcium carbonate. General references say blue and other shades arise when impurities are present in the mineral.
Is it the same as the general calcite page?
It is the same mineral with its own color. Our calcite page covers the family, and this one covers the blue.
How soft is it?
Mohs 3, the level that defines calcite. It scratches easily and is not a good bead for daily wear.
Does it react with acid?
Yes. Calcite dissolves in dilute acid and gives off carbon dioxide, so keep it away from vinegar, citrus and strong cleaners.
Is it dyed?
Natural blue calcite is gray-blue and chalky. If a bead is a vivid, even blue, ask the seller whether it has been colored.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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