Cobaltocalcite
Cobaltocalcite, also called Spherocobaltite, is a dimorph of Calcite. It’s a rare and stunning mineral and really treasure that is rare. It is almost always found in shades of pink from pale pink to rose red, to deep pinkish red. Current sources are Morocco, Spain and Congo (Zaire).
| Crystallography: | Trigonal-Hexagonal – Scalenohedal |
| Crystal Habit: | Crystals uncommon, rhombohedral, flat discoidal, modified, to 5 mm; commonly compact radiated, concentric, spherical, massive, and in crusts. |
| Twinning: | Observed |
| Cleavage: | [1011] Perfect, [1011] Perfect, [1011] Perfect (perfect rhombohedral) |
| Fracture: | Subconchoidal |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Moh’s Hardness: | 3.0 – 4.0 |
| Density: | 4.10 – 4.13 (g/cm3) |
| Radioactivity: | Not Radioactive |
| Color: | Pink, Rose red, Gray brown, Black |
| Transparency: | Transparent to Translucent |
| Luster: | Vitreous to Adamantine |
| Refractive Index: | 1.885 – 1.600 Uniaxial ( – ) |
| Birefringence: | 0.2850 (very high) |
| Dispersion: | Strong |
| Pleochroism: | Dichroic: O = violet-red; E = rose-red |
