Calcite spray on tan matrix, Wenshan — 315 g

Description

This specimen is an airy, branching cluster of white to cream calcite sitting on a flat, tan–brown matrix plate. The aggregate forms a spray-like habit, and a row of pale honey‑yellow granular crystals runs along the base of the calcite cluster. The piece measures 8.5 × 12.5 × 5 cm and weighs 315 g. The calcite crystals present as a light, granular to fibrous aggregate with branching sprays; the matrix is slab-like and tan to brown in colour. Origin: Wenshan, China. Calcite is calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and commonly forms a wide range of crystal habits and aggregates; branching spray habits like this are a familiar form for the mineral in many settings.