Calcite - Laki, Bulgaria | Ref.41

Specimen description

This large calcite specimen consists of a dense group of well-developed crystals intergrown with one another. Several crystals stand out for their flattened, elongated shapes and angular terminations, giving the specimen a particularly distinctive structure.

The specimen displays light tones ranging from creamy white to very pale yellow, whose appearance may vary depending on the lighting. Some crystal surfaces and edges are covered with fine, light-colored crystallization, adding a different texture to several areas of the specimen.

Its dimensions and weight make this an imposing specimen, and the video allows the arrangement of the crystals to be viewed from different angles.

Calcite

Calcite is a calcium carbonate with the chemical formula CaCO₃. This mineral can develop a wide variety of crystal forms and has a hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale.

Provenance

This calcite comes from the Laki Mine in Bulgaria, located in the Central Rhodopes in the southern part of the country, around 50 km south of Plovdiv. The Laki area is part of the region’s lead-zinc mining districts. The specimen was collected in 2003.

Dimensions and presentation

Stone dimensions: 210 × 120 × 105 mm.

Weight: 1,560 g.