Reviews
1.1" Intense Orange Calcite Crystal Cluster - Poland
This is a cluster of sharp orange calcite crystals on basalt. This comes from the Grabiszyce Basalt Quarry in the Luban District of Poland. Under short and long wave UV, these crystals fluoresce a white-orange color. This specimen has been mounted to an acrylic base with mineral tack.
About Grabiszyce Orange Calcite Specimens
Orange calcite specimens from the Grabiszyce Basalt Quarry near Leśna are classic examples of basalt-hosted calcite crystallization, featuring warm apricot-to-deep orange crystals set dramatically against dark, fine-grained volcanic rock. The calcite typically occurs as sharp scalenohedral (“dogtooth”) crystals or sparkling drusy coatings lining small cavities and fractures within the basalt. Color intensity ranges from pale honey to saturated tangerine and is commonly attributed to trace iron incorporated during crystal growth, sometimes producing subtle zoning. The visual contrast between vivid calcite and nearly black basalt matrix gives these specimens a bold, unmistakably volcanic character that displays exceptionally well.
From a collecting standpoint, these calcites have a relatively recent and well-defined history. The main pocket zone was discovered by local collectors around 2015 in a small, highly productive section of altered basalt within the active quarry. Collecting was limited and low-key for several years before the material became more widely known, and the productive zone itself was quite restricted—only a few meters across. Because the basalt hosting the pockets is often fractured and crumbly, intact extractions were challenging, with many specimens requiring trimming or stabilization. Quarry access is controlled and collecting is not casual, adding to the finite nature of the find and making well-preserved orange calcite specimens from Grabiszyce increasingly sought after by European locality collectors.
Orange calcite specimens from the Grabiszyce Basalt Quarry near Leśna are classic examples of basalt-hosted calcite crystallization, featuring warm apricot-to-deep orange crystals set dramatically against dark, fine-grained volcanic rock. The calcite typically occurs as sharp scalenohedral (“dogtooth”) crystals or sparkling drusy coatings lining small cavities and fractures within the basalt. Color intensity ranges from pale honey to saturated tangerine and is commonly attributed to trace iron incorporated during crystal growth, sometimes producing subtle zoning. The visual contrast between vivid calcite and nearly black basalt matrix gives these specimens a bold, unmistakably volcanic character that displays exceptionally well.
From a collecting standpoint, these calcites have a relatively recent and well-defined history. The main pocket zone was discovered by local collectors around 2015 in a small, highly productive section of altered basalt within the active quarry. Collecting was limited and low-key for several years before the material became more widely known, and the productive zone itself was quite restricted—only a few meters across. Because the basalt hosting the pockets is often fractured and crumbly, intact extractions were challenging, with many specimens requiring trimming or stabilization. Quarry access is controlled and collecting is not casual, adding to the finite nature of the find and making well-preserved orange calcite specimens from Grabiszyce increasingly sought after by European locality collectors.
$15
SPECIES
Calcite
LOCATION
Grabiszyce Basalt Quarry, Lesna, Luban District, Poland
SIZE
1.1 x .95"
CATEGORY
ITEM
#332007
