White calcite is the common mineral calcite in white or clear. It is soft, so it marks easily, and it is not quartz or glass. We do not carry it. Our calcite page covers the mineral in general.
Carbonate · Calcite
White Calcite
Calcita blanca
- Palette
- White Clear
- Mined in
- Iceland, Mexico, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Peru, Russia
- Hardness
- Mohs 3.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- 1845
- Named for
- Latin calx, meaning lime
- Also sold as
- clear calcite, optical calcite, Iceland spar
- Intention
- Calm
- Looking for
- Rest and meditation Calm
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- White calcite is usually sold natural, though calcite takes dye and wax easily, so check the drill hole and cracks on colored pieces.
Not in our pieces now
IAEA-603
The IAEA-603 isotope reference standard was made from an 80-kilogram sample of Carrara marble.
NAIL AND ACID TEST
A fingernail scratches gypsum alabaster but not calcite alabaster, and only calcite fizzes in hydrochloric acid.
What it is
White calcite is the common mineral calcite in white to creamy white, often with a soft inner glow. The clear, see-through kind is called optical calcite or Iceland spar, and a block of it shows a double image of whatever lies beneath. It is soft and is a different mineral from quartz, selenite and glass.
What gives it its color
Pure calcite is white or colorless; other colors come from small amounts of impurities such as iron and manganese.
Where it comes from
Calcite is mined widely; named sources include the Santa Eulalia district in Chihuahua, Mexico, and Iceland's Helgustadir mine (now a nature reserve), plus the U.S. tri-state region of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
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, white calcite is the stone people keep for quiet meditation. It is traditionally linked with the crown chakra and with dreams.
The clear kind, Iceland spar, may be the sunstone the Norse sagas mention, though historians have not settled it. People hold calcite, keep it in a meditation space, or set it by the bed.
How people wear or keep it: In a meditation space, held in either hand, in a pocket, or by the bed.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, white calcite is paired with the crown 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 meditation space, held in either hand, in a pocket. People reach for it when they want rest and meditation, calm, 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.
ChakraCrown
ZodiacAquarius, Cancer, Gemini, Pisces
ElementWater
Also calledclear calcite, optical calcite, Iceland spar
Care
- At Mohs 3 it scratches easily and can be marked by a copper coin. Keep it apart from harder stones.
- Calcite fizzes in weak acid, so keep it from vinegar, lemon juice, cleaners and sweat-heavy wear.
- Wipe with a dry or barely damp soft cloth and dry it at once. Avoid soaking, salt and ultrasonic cleaners.
- It has perfect cleavage in three directions and can split if dropped.
How to tell what you have
- White calcite is soft (Mohs 3), fizzes in vinegar or acid, cleaves in rhombs, and clear pieces (optical calcite or Iceland spar) show a double image of whatever lies beneath.
- Harder white stones such as quartz or howlite do not fizz; selenite is softer and scratches with a fingernail.
What sets the price
Calcite is common and affordable, so price follows how clean, bright and evenly white the beads are, their size and polish, and whether the stone is natural or dyed.
Questions people ask at our table
What is white calcite?
It is calcite, a calcium carbonate mineral, in white or clear. The general mineral is covered on our calcite page. This page is about the white and clear kind.
What is Iceland spar or optical calcite?
It is a very clear form of calcite that shows a double image when you look through it. The name comes from Iceland, the historic source.
How can I tell it from quartz or selenite?
Calcite is soft enough to scratch with a steel knife and fizzes in weak acid. Clear quartz is much harder and does not fizz. Selenite is gypsum, which is softer still and can be scratched with a fingernail.
Is it natural or dyed?
White calcite is usually sold natural, though calcite in other colors is sometimes dyed. Glass is also sold as clear crystal, and only a double image or a fizz test shows a real calcite.
Do you carry it?
We do not. Our howlite and clear quartz are the nearest white and clear stones we carry.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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