This soft orange-off white dogtooth calcite cluster comes from Morocco. It has been treated with acid to give it a shine.
Dogtooth calcite can be found in open spaces or in caves, geodes and veins. It consists of large calcite crystals thought to resemble dogs' teeth due to the 'pointed' crystal habit.
Calcite is a mineral that reacts to acids--even vinegar--making it a significant identification tool for geologists. When acids touch calcite it fizzes as it releases carbon dioxide.
Calcite derives its name from the Greek word "chalix" meaning "lime" because it is often found in limestone and marble. It is one of the most common minerals on earth (the other being quartz) that can occur in sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks and can be found in many different geological environments.
This ubiquitous mineral comes in a wide variety of colors ranging from white or colorless to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink, brown, black, and gray. There are over 300 identified forms of crystals that then can also combine to create hundreds more crystal variations. Calcite's cleavage is perfect in three directions, creating rhombohedrons.
