FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[mgjullie]

I have purchased this online for a cheaper price but my novice eye tells me this is an imitation or at it best some kind of other rock. Besides claiming it’s a Stellar Beam Calcite I don’t know anything about it. Thank you!

[mgjullie]

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[mgjullie]

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[mgjullie]

Pic 4

[mgjullie]

Pic 4

[alfredo]

Well, the "calcite" part looks correct, so no, I don't think this is an imitation, it's a real natural calcite, a mineral that is abundant enough that there's no need to fake it.

The "stellar beam" part on the other hand is just some silly name invented by the seller for marketing purposes and has no mineralogical meaning or significance.

[Matt_Zukowski]

Whether this is a "Stellar Beam" Calcite or not, we cannot tell you. Stellar Beam is some new age, mystical term, and we like to stick to science here.

As to whether it is calcite, it certainly looks like it could be - i think i see some rhombohedral cleavage and maybe it looks like a part of a scalenohedron, a common habit for calcite. A good test for calcite is if it fizzes when exposed to an acid. The best acid to use is a strong acid like hydrochloric (also called muriatic) that you can find at hardware stores. You might see a reaction with a weak acid like vinegar but you might have to make a powder of a small bit of the specimen to test with such a weak acid. Calcite will also be scratched by a nail and by glass.

[Peter Megaw]

Agreed on the silliness Alfredo!...but I couldn't resist Googling "Stellar Beam Calcite". All hocus-pocus aside that term appears to apply to calcite from Elmwood, so this piece qualifies.

Not sure why Elmwood calcite needs marketing help...it is very appealing...and probably cheaper without the metaphysical nonsense.

[mgjullie]

Yes, by Stellar Beam, they mean Elmwood calcite.