Great South Gems & Minerals

• Calcite, Dog-tooth •
(S. Dakota)

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• Calcite, Dog-tooth •
(S. Dakota)

calcite crystals - Dog-Tooth Calcite - Calcite specimens

Beautiful gold color calcite crystals on a base matrix of calcite. From the Bad Lands of South Dakota. Found on private property near what is called the Bad Lands. These Calcite specimens are surface collected right on top of the ground. This type crystal structure is often referred to as Dog-Tooth Calcite due to the shape of the small individual crystals. Take one of these specimens of calcite and hold it at eye level and look closely at the points of the small crystals and they do look like the tooth of a dog.

This is a very similar calcite crystal material to that coming out of Fort Drum, Florida. The ancient sea shells coming from that location often have cavities with this same type gold/yellowish colored calcite material. My guess is that enough of the calcium in the sea shells there has dissolved to allow the calcium rich mud and soil around the shells to permit the calcite crystals to form in the shells. It is also my guess that the area that is now where these calcite crystals are found near the Bad Lands was once under shallow seas and the calcium rich soil that is now there supports the formation of these calcite crystals. A friend of mine that collected this material said that the dog-tooth calcite crystals are laying all around. He said her could have picked up buckets full of the material.

The specimens had a chalky-like appearance on them even after I washed them good. I sprayed these with a clear acrylic to give them that wet-rock appearance. Nice specimens.

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