A brand new wave of people who are interested in crystals is here, and it seems to be here to stay. Crystal shops have popped up all over the country for people to start their collections.
Have you taken an interest in crystals? You’ve likely read up on all of your options, but you may have a hard time differentiating between them! We’re here to talk about two common crystals: calcite vs quartz, so you can tell the difference.
Read on for a brief calcite and quartz guide.
What Is Calcite?
Calcite is a common carbonate mineral. As a matter of fact, it’s a polymorph of calcium carbonate. It’s common and it’s found all over the world. It can be used for agriculture, building, pharmaceuticals, and more.
You likely have something in your home that uses calcite. You can even get pure calcite crystals from a site like meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com if you like the appearance.
What Is Quartz?
More people know of quartz than calcite. This crystal is made from silicon dioxide (otherwise known as silica). Yes, that’s the same substance that’s in those packets you can get with packages.
Some forms of quartz are classified as gemstones. Some gem shops even list quartz under the names of more popular gemstones due to their comparatively low cost, so be aware of this if you love crystal shopping.
Hardness
When it comes to hardness, quartz is clearly the winner. It’s a seven on the Mohs scale, while calcite is only a three. This doesn’t mean that quartz is inherently better, but it does mean that it’s more durable.
Calcite can not scratch quartz, but quartz can scratch calcite. An average pocketknife will also be able to scratch calcite (but not quartz).
Shape
Most quartz crystals are hexagonal prisms (though there are some that have different shapes). Calcite, on the other hand, is usually a rhombohedron. This doesn’t mean that calcite can’t come in other crystal shapes, but those shapes will almost always be distinct from quartz shapes.
Both of these stones can be tumbled and smoothed down, making them even harder to differentiate.
Appearance
At first glance, one might think that calcite and quartz are the same if they’re smooth.
Calcite is transparent but may show green, gray, blue, and yellow tones. Quartz, however, can be found in a wide variety of colors. There’s beautiful orange citrine, pink rose quarts, brown smokey quartz, and so much more.
Someone who likes using crystals in jewelry will likely prefer quartz unless they’re attached to specific meanings in calcite.
Calcite vs Quartz: What Do You Prefer?
When it comes to calcite vs quartz, one isn’t necessarily better than the other. Calcite has more uses outside of jewelry and general collections. Quartz is beautiful and has plenty of unique varieties, as well as super durable.
If you’re interested in picking up one of those stones, why not head to your local crystal shop to see them in person?
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