Calcite (botryoidal)

Item Description

This locality has the distinction of producing some of the most unusual yet iconic Calcite specimens I can think of. Calcite is obviously an abundant mineral species that is found is a wide variety of mineralized deposits around the world, but how often have you seen botryoidal Calcite? The color of this material is even a bit different as you could simply describe it as "yellow", but it has a certain overtone that gives it a very distinctive look. So we have a bizarre habit and an unusual color together along with the fact that they formed on lava rock - specifically tephritic lava - and considering how hard the matrix is, it's a wonder that any decent matrix specimens are recovered from here. This piece hosts one of these interesting and unique Calcite "balls", measuring 8 mm across. Hard to find on the market now, as I'm told the best pieces came out around 25-30 years ago.