Orange Calcite

Orange Calcite is a colourful variety of Calcite, one of the most common carbonate minerals on Earth. Its warm orange, peach, apricot and honey tones are generally produced by trace impurities, iron-rich material or other colouring agents incorporated during formation. Like all Calcite, Orange Calcite is composed of calcium carbonate and belongs to the trigonal crystal system. It is relatively soft, has perfect rhombohedral cleavage and reacts readily with acids. Calcite can form in an enormous range of geological environments, including limestone, caves, hydrothermal veins, sedimentary deposits and altered rocks. Orange Calcite is especially popular in polished forms such as spheres, towers, palmstones, carvings and freeforms because polishing brings out its colour, cloud-like banding and translucent internal patterns. Although Orange Calcite is commonly sold within the crystal trade as its own named variety, it is not a separate mineral species. It is Calcite whose colour falls within the orange to honey range.