FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Susan Robinson]

My recommendation is to keep the calcite away from the chemicals - it's fine the way it is. Also, never allow calcite and fluorite specimens to be subjected to extreme cold - it causes the crystals to crack and craze, especially the terminations on the calcite. The calcite crystals from the Brushy Creek, Missouri, locality are a good example of what happens to calcite scalenohedrons when subjected to cold.

Susan Robinson

[jtozier]

Alright, well all this certainly makes things easier on my end. So the general method would be a long soak in water with laundry detergent, then a a gentle cleaning?