Green calcite is a soft, waxy green mineral, a variety of ordinary calcite. It marks easily, so it suits gentle wear.
Carbonate · calcite
Green Calcite
Calcita verde
- Palette
- Green
- 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, plus the mineral ending -ite
- Also sold as
- emerald calcite (trade)
- Intention
- Abundance
- Looking for
- Grounding Prosperity
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Calcite beads are sometimes dyed to change the color or waxed or coated for shine, so ask whether a strand is natural color.
Not in our pieces now
SETI I
The sarcophagus of Pharaoh Seti I was carved from a single block of translucent calcite alabaster and now sits in Sir John Soane's Museum in London.
MOHS 3
Calcite is the stone that defines 3 on the Mohs hardness scale: a fingernail will not scratch it, but a knife will.
RETROGRADE
Calcite dissolves less as water warms, the opposite of most minerals.
What it is
A soft, waxy, pale to medium green stone, often with white streaks. Tumbled and polished, it shines more than it does rough. For calcite in general, see the calcite page.
What gives it its color
Green calcite gets its color from impurities: tiny green mineral inclusions such as chlorite or malachite, or traces of metals such as iron or copper.
Where it comes from
Green calcite comes mainly from Mexico (Veracruz and Chihuahua), with other sources in Brazil, Pakistan, India and the United States.
In history
Calcite is one of the oldest carving stones: ancient Egyptians shaped it into jars and linked it to the goddess Bast, and perfume jars of calcite or alabaster were found in Tutankhamun's tomb (he died about 1323 BC). Its clear form, Iceland spar, came mostly from Helgustadir in Iceland, where the largest single crystal known was found. In 1669 Danish scientist Bartholin described its double image, which later helped shape the wave theory of light.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today it is kept for grounding, prosperity and growth. People also set it in a garden or garden shed.
It is carried in a pocket, kept in the prosperity corner of a room, or worn lightly on special days.
How people wear or keep it: In a pocket, in the garden, or in the prosperity corner of a room.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, green calcite is paired with the heart 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: in a pocket, in the garden, in the prosperity corner of a room. People reach for it when they want grounding, prosperity, 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.
ChakraHeart
ZodiacCancer
ElementFire
Also calledemerald calcite (trade)
Care
- Very soft (3): it scratches on keys, coins and harder stones.
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft dry cloth.
- Keep away from household cleaners, perfume and sweat.
- Store alone in a soft pouch and take it off for washing and swimming.
How to tell what you have
- Calcite is soft (Mohs 3), so a copper coin or knife tip scratches it, and it bubbles in weak acid.
- Natural green calcite exists, so green alone does not mean dye. Dyed stone often shows color pooled at the drill hole or in cracks; a bead sold as marble may be a related form of the same mineral.
Rules and sourcing
Green calcite beads are sometimes dyed or waxed or coated for shine, so the strand should say whether the green is natural. The FTC jewelry guides call for disclosing dye, wax or coating.
Questions people ask at our table
What is green calcite?
The green variety of calcite, a soft calcium carbonate mineral. Green comes from trace impurities.
How is it different from green jade?
Jade is much harder and tougher. Green calcite is Mohs 3 and scratches easily.
Why is it called a soft stone?
It is 3 on the Mohs scale, softer than a copper coin, so it marks easily.
Where does it come from?
Brazil, Peru, Iceland, Russia, Belgium, the Czech Republic and the United States, among others.
How do I care for it?
Keep it dry, store it apart from other stones and avoid household cleaners.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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