Pink calcite, sometimes sold as mangano calcite, is ordinary calcite in a soft pink to peach color. In crystal lore it is a gentle heart stone, traditionally associated with love for others and an open heart.
Carbonate · Calcite
Pink Calcite
Calcita rosa
- Palette
- Pink White
- Mined in
- Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Iceland, Peru, Russia, United States
- Hardness
- Mohs 3.0 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- 1845
- Named for
- German Calcit, from Latin calx, meaning lime
- Also sold as
- mangano calcite, manganoan calcite
- Intention
- Love
- Looking for
- Love Relationships Compassion and empathy Hope
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Pink calcite is natural and is usually sold as it is. Soft stones like calcite can be dyed or waxed, so look for color pooling in cracks.
Not in our pieces now
250 TONS
The largest documented single calcite crystal came from Iceland, measuring 7 by 7 by 2 meters and weighing about 250 tons.
OVER 1,000 FORMS
Calcite occurs in over 1,000 crystal forms, which combine into its many shapes.
SILFURBERG
Iceland spar is called silfurberg in Icelandic, often translated as silver-rock.
What it is
A pale pink to peach stone with white bands and streaks, waxy when rough and smooth and shiny when tumbled. Pink calcite and mangano calcite are trade names for ordinary calcite in a pink shade, not a separate mineral. It is soft, so it scratches and dulls with wear.
What gives it its color
Calcite is naturally white or colorless, and the pink comes from manganese taking the place of some of the calcium in the crystal.
Where it comes from
Pink manganese-bearing calcite is named from Peru, Romania and the Czech Republic; calcite more broadly comes from Iceland, Mexico's Santa Eulalia district, Cumbria in England and Michigan.
In history
Egyptian carvers made calcite, often called alabaster, into vessels, and Tutankhamun's tomb (about 1323 BC) held several calcite perfume jars. In 1669 the Danish scientist Rasmus Bartholin found that clear calcite from Iceland splits a single image in two, a discovery that later helped Christiaan Huygens develop the wave theory of light.
What's said about it
People hold it in the hand, carry it in a shirt pocket or wear it as a pendant near the heart. One modern guide has two people hold it between them to feel closer.
Some keep it under the pillow as a reminder of hope.
It is soft and scratches easily. Keep it dry, away from vinegar and perfume, and apart from harder stones.
How people wear or keep it: In a shirt pocket, on a pendant near the heart, held in the hand, or under the pillow.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, pink 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 shirt pocket, on a pendant near the heart, held in the hand. People reach for it when they want love, relationships, compassion and empathy, 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
ZodiacLibra
ElementEarth
Also calledmangano calcite, manganoan calcite
Care
- At Mohs 3 it scratches easily and can be marked by a copper coin, so store it apart from harder stones.
- Keep it away from vinegar, lemon juice, perfume and household cleaners, which attack calcite.
- Wipe with a soft dry or barely damp cloth, then dry it at once.
- Skip ultrasonic and steam cleaners, and take it off for dishes, swimming and the shower.
- A hard knock can split it along its cleavage planes, so choose gentle wear.
How to tell what you have
- Pink calcite is soft (Mohs 3, a coin or knife scratches it) and fizzes in a drop of vinegar or mild acid. Harder pink stones like rose quartz or rhodochrosite do not scratch as easily, and rhodochrosite shows deeper banding.
Questions people ask at our table
What is pink calcite?
It is calcite, a common soft carbonate mineral, in a pale pink to peach shade. Mangano calcite is another trade name for the same thing.
Is it the same as rose quartz or pink aventurine?
No. Rose quartz and pink aventurine are quartz, which is much harder. Pink calcite is only Mohs 3, so it scratches easily and fizzes in acid.
Is it dyed?
The pink is natural, but any bead strand can be dyed, so ask the seller. Pale, waxy stone with white bands is typical of the natural material.
Can I get it wet?
A crystal reference book advises keeping it away from water and salt, and calcite dissolves in mild acids. Wipe it with a soft cloth and keep it dry.
Where is it from?
The usual places given are Brazil, Peru, Russia, the United States and several countries in Europe. For other calcite colors, see the Calcite page.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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