Rough – Calcite Zebra size B

Calcite is a very fragile mineral. It has a hardness of 3 on the scale of Moh (which defines the hardness of any matter). Because Calcite is quite a common stone, it is often used as an example of the third level of Moh’s scale. The fragile stone occurs in a wide variety of colours and transparency, from completely white and see-through, to dark-brown and fully opaque. There are a lot of different ways in which Calcite can crystallise; it comes in a lot of different shapes. Most often the stone is found in combination with other minerals. Calcite is one of two most important parts of shells, alongside aragonite. Both are not very strong on their own, but together they can withstand a force way larger than each of the stones could on their own. Calcite has been used since ancient Egyptians for carvings or jewellery.