Calcite

Jalgaon District, Nashik Division, Maharashtra, India

A golden calcite crystal of 6.5 cm on edge with real presence, glowing honey-yellow from edge to edge. Wide areas are transparent, and warm orange zones deep inside give the color its depth. Broad rhombic faces meet in sharp edges, and their arrangement gives the crystal an almost sculptural form. Fine white blades of stilbite rest on the lower faces and at the base, a calm contrast to the gold. Nature has lightly etched the surface, softening the luster on some faces to a silky sheen while the crystal keeps its clarity. Jalgaon in Maharashtra, India, is one of the classic localities of the Deccan Traps, where calcite and zeolites grew in gas cavities of the basalt. Golden calcite with this much clarity and presence is exactly what collectors look for from the locality. A showpiece that holds its own in any collection.