Mineral portrait calcite (english abstract)

... Among the most spectacular finds are the fantastic light blue calcites from the Julia mine in Bilbao, which enraptured collectors' hearts to about the mid-1970s. At about the same time the zinc mine Las Manforas at Aliva supplied excellent, highl lustrous Calcites, often associated with the world's best red Sphalerites. ...

Amonsgt the forms of calcite the pinacoid is unique as it consists of exactly two parallel and oriented perpendicular to the c-axis surfaces. All other Calcite forms have either six or twelve areas. The pinacoid is an open form, with which it can not really include space; so the pinacoid must accompany other forms on the calcite crystal ...

A mineral portrait written by Peter Seroka with contributions from Ingo Löffler, Edgar Müller, Rainer Albert, William Waltermann (written in German)