Iceland spar: crystal properties, application and mineral deposits, price, photo

What kind of stone: Ornamental;
Deposits: South Africa, USA, Mexico, Central Asia, South America, Tuva, Caucasus, Sakha, Far East;
Colors: Transparent, yellow, pink and blue;
Mohs hardness: 3;
Transparency: Transparent;
Density: 2.7 g/cm3;
Formula: CaCO3;
Suitable for zodiac sign: Everyone except Scorpio;
How much does it cost: from 230 rubles.

Iceland spar, a stone that served the early medieval Scandinavian sailors (Vikings) as the prototype of the first compass, has many interesting optical properties.

Nowadays, it has become a collector's item, as well as an assistant to lithotherapists and people interested in esotericism.

What is this stone?

Iceland spar, a transparent, coarse-crystalline variety of calcite, received its name in honor of the country in which the first significant deposit of this mineral was discovered, located near the small Icelandic town of Eskifjörður.

The term “spar” (from the German word “spalten” - “to split”) refers to rocks with pronounced cleavage.

Transparent crystals of Iceland spar are characterized by strong birefringence, leading to doubling of images or objects viewed through them, therefore the mineral is also called birefringent spar or optical calcite.

Iceland spar is a typical (together with rock crystal and pyrite) representative of low-temperature “vein” minerals. Its crystals can have colossal sizes: in nature there are specimens weighing several tens of tons and more than a meter high.

Usage history

The builders of Ancient Egypt used Iceland spar as a building material to make monumental columns.

The first written mentions of Iceland spar were found in monastic manuscripts of the 14th-15th centuries.

In the ancient Scandinavian sagas (late 9th - early 10th centuries) there are episodes with the mention of mysterious crystals that helped the Norwegian Vikings find the sun in the sky, covered with a thick layer of clouds and therefore called “sun stones”.

In 1967, Thorkild Ramskou, an archaeologist from Denmark, suggested that the Vikings used Iceland spar crystals as the legendary “sunstone”.

This theory is confirmed by a similar crystal found among navigational aids found on board a sunken Viking ship (dating back to the late 16th century) found at the bottom of the English Channel in the late 1990s.

In 2011, after two French physicists spoke about the possibility of using optical calcite crystals in navigation, a group of researchers carried out modeling that fully confirmed this possibility.

A full-scale experiment was carried out by enthusiasts a little later.

Using materials at hand, they proved that by observing a cloudy sky through an Iceland spar crystal and a light-blocking sheet with a tiny hole, by turning the crystal, they could detect areas in the sky from which polarized light emanated (clouds polarize sunlight) .

By identifying areas with maximum and minimum polarization of light and drawing perpendiculars to the line connecting these areas, you can determine the location of the Sun. Scientific research materials were published in 2013 and 2022.

History of the stone

The mineral was discovered by mankind back in the days of the Vikings. Mentions of the mineral are found in the Scandinavian sagas: it was used to determine the position of the sun in the sky. Therefore, spar also received the name “sun stone”. In the fifteenth century, the gem was used in monasteries - religious paraphernalia was made from it.

The first colorless calcite was found not in Iceland, but on the island of Alderney (the northern border of the Channel Islands). A valuable specimen was found among the wreckage of an old Scandinavian boat that had been preserved for several centuries.

Be sure to see: Types and properties of calcite

The properties of stone were studied in detail during the Renaissance. Scientists tried to find out the practical value of calcite in terms of its use in navigation. However, spar, as it turned out, does not have unique optical properties that make it possible to determine the position of the sun in the sky.

Meaning

The main area of application of Iceland spar, which has high birefringence, optical uniformity, good transparency and permeability to visible and ultraviolet rays, is the optical industry.

Crystals of this mineral, which have become part of optoelectronic and optical systems, take part in the polarization of light and control of light fluxes. For this purpose, single crystals are selected that do not have cracks and contain a minimum amount of foreign inclusions.

Optical calcite is used to make:

birefringent prisms (Rochon, Senarmont, Wollaston);
polarizing prisms (designs by Nicolas, Ahrens, Glan-Thompson, Frank-Ritter, Cotton, Glazebrook);
penumbral prisms (Schippich, Shenrok);
bifocal lenses;
beam spreading plates and cylinders;
parts used in photometers, polarizing microscopes, polariscopes, interferometers, polarimeters, interferometers, etc.;
polarizing filters for cameras designed to reduce glare.

Today, it is difficult to imagine astronomy, medicine, food, defense and chemical industries without the above instruments; With their help, all kinds of scientific research are carried out.

Optical-electronic computers and lasers containing devices made using Iceland spar crystals are actively used in space exploration and are important for the further development of modern technology.

How is Iceland spar used?

Fragility plus low Mohs hardness exclude the use of the mineral as jewelry. Few stone carvers undertake to make a figurine or other thing out of it. But it is a popular material for wall or other mosaics.

The main area of use of the mineral is the optical industry . The high coefficient of double refraction of light, optical homogeneity, and sufficient transparency for ultraviolet and visible rays to the human eye have made crystals (for example, a prism for polarizing light) indispensable components of optical and optoelectronic systems. We are talking about polarizing microscopes, interferometers, photometers, and other devices for which radiation resistance is important.

Remarkable examples are sought after by collectors.

Iceland spar crystal

Physical properties

Iceland spar (chemical formula CaCO3) is characterized by:

High transparency.
The color of the strokes is white.
Conchoidal fracture.
Perfect cleavage.
Trigonal system.
Low hardness, equal to 3 points on the Mohs scale.
Mother-of-pearl or glass luster (caused by the interference of a light beam reflected not only from the surface of the crystal, but also from the cleavage planes located inside it), which decreases after mechanical damage.
The presence of crystals shaped like a dodecahedron (trigonal scalenohedron), resembling a double pyramid. When struck, the crystals easily split along the cleavage planes into rhombohedrons (beveled parallelepipeds). An individual prism crystal can have a height from 0.5 cm to 1 m or more.
The ability, when heated to temperatures exceeding 470 degrees, to decompose into lime and carbon dioxide.
Density equal to 2.7 g/cm3.
Ability to foam and fizz when interacting with acids.
Pale color (yellow, pink and blue) of crystals containing impurities of iron, bitumen, manganese, lead, magnesium, strontium, chromium or barium. Crystals that contain no impurities are absolutely colorless.

The presence of luminescence in colored stones. In ultraviolet rays they shimmer in different colors. Colorless crystals with a perfectly aligned crystal lattice do not exhibit luminescence.

The presence of double refraction (polarization), manifested in the bifurcation of a flat image under the crystal. The mechanism of this phenomenon is as follows: a ray of light, passing through an Iceland spar crystal, is split into two components, one of which goes straight, and the second is deflected, simultaneously projecting both a real image and a phantom one.

The larger the instance, the farther apart the projected images will be. When the crystal is rotated 90 degrees, the polarization effect disappears.

The refractive index can be changed by sawing the pebble diagonally and carefully gluing the resulting halves together. Tourmalines and dichroites have a similar effect of birefringence.

Peculiarities

Iceland spar is endowed with two properties that distinguish it from the general background of minerals:

Geometry of crystals. Creates a “matryoshka effect”: when you split a crystal, you get the same one, but smaller. So down to the tiniest bits.
Luminescence. Appears in colored stones. The crystal lattice of white (that is, pure) aggregates is perfect; they do not luminesce in UV rays.
Birefringence (polarization). The flat image under the crystal splits into two. The mechanism is as follows: when a beam of light crosses a prism, one wave travels normally, the other is deflected, projecting a “phantom” along with the original. The larger the crystal, the further apart the images will be. The refractive index changes if the crystal is cut diagonally and then the halves are glued together. When the stone is rotated 90°, the effect disappears.

Cordierite and tourmalines also create a similar polarization effect.

Iceland spar

There is no need to confuse Icelandic and feldspar. These are representatives of different classes. According to the international classification, Iceland spar stone belongs to carbonates, feldspar – to silicates. Other characteristics (density, strength, appearance) are also different.

Place of Birth

Iceland spar is of hydrothermal origin. Its deposits are found in cavities of basalts, limestones and other rocks rich in calcium.

Large deposits of optical calcite are located in the following areas:

SOUTH AFRICA;
USA and Mexico. Collection-quality stones are mined here exclusively by hand, without the use of blasting or heavy equipment;
Central Asia;
South America. Local deposits of optical calcite are often companions of the famous Colombian emeralds;
Tuva;
North Caucasus;
Subpolar Urals;
Republic of Sakha;
Krasnoyarsk Territory;
Far East.

Colors

Iceland spar crystals are distinguished only by a very pale, restrained color, due to the presence of impurities:

sulfur and iron color the crystals yellowish;
chromium or boron give the mineral bluish tints;
The pinkish color is the result of the presence of manganese.

Crystals that do not contain impurities are completely transparent. High transparency is typical even for very large specimens of optical calcite.

Description of the stone

Iceland spar is calcium carbonate or calcite. It is surprisingly transparent, resembling a diamond-shaped piece of ice. Thanks to special bonds between atoms, spar splits into small diamonds. The difference in color is due to the presence of impurities:

pink – contains manganese;
blue – boron or chromium;
yellow – sulfur, iron;
transparent (colorless) – does not contain inclusions.

The gem is a type of calcite; it has no other divisions other than color.
To see what the stone looks like:

Magic properties

The magical properties of Iceland spar allow you to use the stone for:

strengthening intuition;
overcoming laziness;
accelerated achievement of the cherished goal;
improving the character of the owner (under the influence of the stone, people become more sociable and kinder).

With the help of Icelandic spar - through many hours of daily meditation - its owner can develop extrasensory abilities and the ability to foresee the future.

People who practice yoga use optical calcite to open the eighth chakra, called the “Soul Star.”

Medicinal properties

The healing properties of optical calcite (a mineral crushed to a powder form and a traditional Chinese medicine) are truly multifaceted.

Crystals of any color are used for:

strengthening the immune system;
overcoming lethargy, chronic fatigue and decreased muscle tone;
lowering body temperature during extreme heat and fever;
accelerated wound healing;
treatment of eye diseases (to get rid of cataracts, the crystal is placed on the eyelids).

In some cases, the color of the crystals used is decisive for achieving the best effect:

Pebbles of bluish tints effectively treat pathologies of the throat, nasopharynx and respiratory organs (sore throats, pharyngitis, laryngitis).
With the help of colorless and white crystals, you can get rid of pain of any etiology (especially dental, headache and joint pain).
Golden and yellowish crystals are used to treat kidney diseases.
Pinkish crystals are most useful in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (primarily intestinal diseases).

Lithotherapy sessions using Iceland spar crystals are strictly prohibited for patients with any (benign or malignant) tumors, as well as for people with sprains.

The fact is that optical calcite crystals can become the culprits of accelerated cell division and proliferation of soft tissues.

Horoscope

Astrologically, none of the varieties of calcite (including Iceland spar) correlates with planets and zodiac signs. However, spar itself is a rather “friendly” mineral, which is easy for a representative of any sign to work with, regardless of the patron planet, etc.

Some minerals of certain colors gravitate towards specific signs. Thus, bluish crystals are best suited for those born under the zodiac sign Cancer, while Capricorns can wear stones with a greenish tint.

The only sign that Iceland spar is not suitable for is Scorpio . The fact is that Scorpios often gravitate towards black magical practices and working with dark energies, while the calcite crystal is very light, sunny, filled with high vibrations. The energy of Iceland spar and Scorpios is completely opposite, so it is better for such people to refrain from purchasing crystals of this kind.

Who is suitable according to their zodiac sign?

Icelandic calcite, which has very positive and bright energy, according to astrologers, is not tied to certain planets or signs of the zodiac circle.

Those who are going to use the mineral as an amulet or talisman are recommended to choose it according to the color of the crystals, related to the element of their zodiac sign:

Representatives of the air signs of the zodiac ( Gemini, Aquarius and Libra) are suitable for white, bluish and grayish crystals.
People born under the signs of the water element ( Pisces and Cancer ) should pay attention to pebbles of greenish or bluish tones.
Those born under the signs of the earth element ( Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus ) will benefit from yellowish-hued crystals.
Representatives of the fire element signs ( Sagittarius, Aries and Leo ) should choose crystals painted in reddish or yellow-gold tones.

The only exception to this rule is the zodiac constellation Scorpio. The powerful energy of people born under this sign can conflict with the light energy of the sunstone, so owning an Iceland spar crystal will not bring them any benefit.

Iceland spar and horoscope

Astrologers have not been able to identify connections between the calcite family (including Iceland spar) and the planets or zodiac signs. However, the bright, positive energy of these minerals has been revealed.

Therefore, astrologers advise choosing Iceland spar according to the color related to the element of the sign:

representatives of Water signs will suit bluish or greenish specimens;
Fire people need yellow-gold or reddish crystals;
Earthly - yellowish;
For airy ones, you should choose white, grayish, bluish.

The only inhabitant of the Zodiac circle for whom Iceland spar is useless is Scorpio. People of this sign are often committed to black magic, which contradicts the light energy of the mineral.

Zodiac sign	Compatibility
Aries	+
Taurus	+
Twins	+
Cancer	+
a lion	+
Virgo	+
Scales	+
Scorpion	—
Sagittarius	+
Capricorn	+
Aquarius	+
Fish	+

(“+++” – fits perfectly, “+” – can be worn, “-” – is strictly contraindicated).

Talismans and amulets

Raw small Iceland spar crystals can be used as reliable talismans that can be carried in a bag or pocket. It is not forbidden to keep them on your desktop.

The mineral can be inherited by blood relatives or received as a gift from very close people. Only in these cases will it fully retain its magical and healing properties and continue to work.

A stone that is lost or indifferently donated by its previous owner will take with it everything that was acquired by the owner in the process of wearing the talisman.

Optical calcite crystals can be used as amulets that can make their owners more attentive, as well as prevent them from making serious mistakes:

economists;
doctors;
businessmen;
drivers;
lawyers.

Meaning of Zodiac Signs

The power of healing spar will suit all zodiac signs except Scorpio. The mineral has positive energy that helps maintain good health and get rid of unnecessary thoughts. Also promotes the development of intuition.

It is not advisable for Scorpios to wear a talisman in the form of Icelandic spar, since the energy of the mineral aggravates the manifestation of negative character traits. Also, many Scorpios are close to the occult. Calcite symbolizes simplicity and honesty, which is contrary to mysticism.

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Geological Exploration Museum. Icelandic Spar #gems #saintpetersburg #archeology #nofilter #nofilterneeded
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Decorations

Despite its beauty, Iceland spar is rarely used to create jewelry. The reason for this is the excessive softness and fragility of the mineral, which easily breaks into pieces.

Single products that appear on sale, as a rule, are copyrighted.

Faceted specimens of Iceland spar are used in collections and for interior decoration.

Other uses of stone

In addition to its use in the optical industry, Iceland spar has found application in:

collecting: interesting samples are bought up with pleasure by collectors;
production of paints and varnishes;
as a popular material for creating wall mosaics and interior items;
production of ceramics and glass products.

Main conclusions

Iceland spar is a transparent, colorless calcite. A brittle mineral with the property of birefringence. When heated to 470 degrees, it breaks down into lime and carbon dioxide.
Mined in Russia, USA, Mexico. In nature, it occurs together with limestone and basalt rocks.
The energy of the stone is used in the treatment of toothache and vision diseases. Also helps develop intuition.
Zodiacally suitable for everyone except Scorpios.
Spar is used in the optical industry. Not used in jewelry.

Share your emotions about the properties of Iceland spar and leave feedback in the comments.

Price

Iceland spar is not a gemstone, but is often sold by carat.

The cost of crystals depends on their size, integrity and degree of purity:

The price of a transparent crystal weighing 15 carats ranges from 38-42,000 rubles.
The cost of a similar stone that has microcracks or chips is 2,000 rubles, since even a visually imperceptible crack passing through the optical axis of the mineral negatively affects its properties and significantly reduces its value.
Colorless crystals, which do not have impurities and do not have a luminescent effect, are more expensive than colored specimens.
The cost of a ball made of yellow optical calcite (diameter 5 cm) is 500 rubles.
A small rhombus made of transparent Iceland spar (1x1 cm) will cost the buyer 10 rubles, a large one (35x25x26 cm) - 400 rubles.

Cost of silver jewelry (in rubles):

earrings – 500-800;
pendant – 1200;
ring in a thin frame - from 400.

Price

The mineral is not classified as precious, but is often sold by carat. The cost is determined by the dimensions, integrity, and degree of purity of the crystal.

A transparent Icelandic 15-carat stone costs 38–42 thousand rubles. A similar one, but cracked or chipped, can be purchased 15–20 times cheaper. Fragments of a spar block will cost up to 100 rubles.

Even a microcrack invisible to the eye that touches the optical axis of a crystal nullifies its properties, reducing its value and price.

Aggregates without impurities and luminescence are more expensive than colored ones with this effect.

Care

Caring for products made from Iceland spar consists of periodically cleaning the stones from dust and dirt. To do this, just rinse them under running cool water and blot with a piece of soft cloth.

Collectible items are stored in a special box made of plastic or glass, and jewelry is stored in a tightly closed box, always wrapped in cotton wool or a soft napkin.

How to distinguish from a fake?

Under the guise of optical calcite crystals, fakes made of glass or plastic are often offered.

To recognize a fake, it is recommended:

Place the pebble on a book page or flat surface with a pattern. Under natural stone, the design or printed font will split; When the crystal is rotated at a right angle, the effect of double refraction will disappear.
Look at the sample carefully. Natural crystals of an affordable price segment, as a rule, have chips, all kinds of inclusions and microcracks. The structure of fake stones is characterized by perfect purity.
Tap the stone on the metal or glass. The natural mineral will produce a characteristic echo. A fake made of glass will ring, but a product made of plastic will either make a dull sound.
Pay attention to the weight. A natural crystal will be heavier than plastic and glass samples of similar dimensions.
Hold the pebble in your hand. Fakes will warm up almost instantly, while natural stone will remain cold for a long time.
Inquire about the cost of the stone: a natural mineral cannot be very cheap.

Where is optical calcite mined?

In Iceland, spar has dried up. They began to mine it in South Africa, Mexico and Evenkia. To extract it without damaging it from the mysterious storehouses of permafrost requires real art. Modern mining technology is not suitable for optical calcite. Spar is very capricious and requires delicate handling. What an explosion! Even if a bulldozer passes over a nest of crystals, they will be rendered useless. It looks like nothing. And the laser beam forms microscopic cracks, and the precious crystal is thrown into the trash. This is why spar is mined and processed with such care and attention. That is why it is so highly valued in the world market.

Let's take a look at where these magical crystals begin their journey - into a two-story log house on one of the snow-covered streets of Tura, the capital of Evenkia. In the workshop, on wide, durable shelves under strong lamps in narrow black lampshades, transparent multi-pound blocks of calcite gleam, the same as they are extracted from the permafrost-bound depths of Evenkia. Here the crystals are in the form of rhombohedrons, pinkish, bluish and clear as a tear. And along the walls there are diagrams, tables, drawings...

A laser beam flashes and draws a red thread through the semi-darkness of the camera room... Diamond saw blades - rotating at such a speed that they seem motionless - cut blocks into layers. The sparkles of crystals in grinding machines merge into one sparkling surface, and, illuminated by beams of light, these machines look fantastically huge.

Painstaking, persistent searches allowed specialists to discover another secret of the mineral. It was discovered that not only the multi-kilogram block of optical calcite is heterogeneous. The crystal and even its individual sections may turn out to be inhomogeneous. What was discovered by scientists and engineers involved in the problem of mining and processing optical calcite, experts called “new enrichment technology.” Now it turned out to be possible to use raw material with the greatest economy, to obtain many times more products from it, and to turn working prisms with various special qualities from crystals.

Fake diamond

Optical calcite

Today, the needs of the Russian optical industry annually require over 500 kg of transparent Iceland spar crystals.

To satisfy this need, synthetic optical calcite crystals are currently used along with natural stones.

Artificial stone not only looks like a natural mineral, but its optical characteristics are in no way inferior to natural crystals.

Optical calcite single crystals are grown using a hydrothermal method, which involves heating and recrystallization of calcium carbonate onto seeds from a solution of ammonium halide and lithium halide while ensuring a temperature difference.

The seeds are calcite plates, which are oriented parallel to the pinacoid face.

Magical and healing properties

In lithotherapy, crystals of all shades are used. It is believed that the type of effect on the body depends on the color of the stone.

Pink helps with intestinal problems.
Blue treats pharyngitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis.
Yellow is used for kidney diseases.
Transparency has an analgesic effect, especially for headaches and toothaches.
All types boost immunity and promote wound healing.
Minerals will help avoid mistakes and make representatives of the legal profession, driver and businessman more attentive.
As an amulet, it is suitable for changing health. It is possible to pass stones from the older generation to the younger. It is not advisable to lose or give them away.

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Posted by White Raven ✨White Raven (@white_raven_jewellry) Sep 17, 2022 at 10:42 am PDT

Spars from Iceland are stones for other minerals, non-conflict good neighbors.

The magical properties of the mineral when combined with other stones do not deteriorate. The main thing is that the combination looks aesthetically pleasing to the owner.

Interesting Facts

The first deposits of optical calcite, located in Iceland, have now been practically worked out, and in former times crystals of truly gigantic sizes were mined here. The largest of them had dimensions of 6x6x3 m, and its weight was over 280 tons.
The parameters of the largest iceland spar crystal in history, found in Australia, are 21.3 x 4.8 x 2.7 m.
In Russia, the most transparent iceland spar crystals are mined in the Evenki region (Krasnoyarsk Territory). The weight of stones mined at local deposits sometimes exceeds 500 kg.
The weight of the largest faceted optical calcite mined in Evenkia is 474 carats.
The collection of the St. Petersburg Mining Museum, located on Vasilievsky Island, exhibits a wine-yellow crystal of Iceland spar weighing about 300 kg.
A faceted Iceland spar crystal weighing 1,260 carats is kept in the Harvard University Museum.
A huge crystal discovered in the United States (in the state of New York) was cut. The weight of the cut stone was 4620 carats (or 924 kg).
In 1998, a crystal weighing 25 tons was discovered in Guizhou province (China).

Iceland spar. Properties, extraction and use of Iceland spar

It is clear as ice and named after the snow-covered regions. Iceland spar was first found in Iceland, after which it was named.

The chemical composition of the stone is a type of calcite. It is a natural form of calcium carbonate.

Accordingly, the formula of Iceland spar is: - CaCO3. It differs from ordinary calcite in the size of its crystals. They are big.

Standard calcium carbonate is a fine-grained, only slightly translucent mass.

Due to the “underdevelopment” of their crystals, some of the properties of calcite are not visible. Iceland spar is a tool for studying them. So, let's begin.

Properties of Iceland spar

The Iceland spar crystal has a rhombic shape and breaks straight along it. As a result, when you destroy the unit, you get the same one, but smaller.

This kind of nesting doll reaches microscopic rhombohedrons. They resemble beveled cubes.

The ideal geometry of spar crystals and their fragments makes the stone easy to process. For example, mosaics are assembled from mineral aggregates.

Birefringence is another characteristic that Iceland spar boasts of . The property is explained by the large difference in the refractive indices of the crystals.

When the rays hit them, they split into ordinary and extraordinary ones. The latter lie in a plane making an angle with the plane of incidence of light.

This is not typical. The normal part of the beam corresponds to the plane of incidence. As a result, if you put a spar crystal on the inscription, it will be visible on the opposite side, but will be forked.

The larger the mineral sample, the further apart the versions of the same word are. Don't believe me? Look at network photos.

Iceland spar changes its refractive index if you cut the crystal diagonally and glue the halves together.

Canada balsam is used as fastening. Its refractive index is 1.53, the same as one of the rays of calcite.

The refractive index of the second ray is higher, therefore, it undergoes total internal reflection. As a result, only one ray emerges from the crystal.

The result is a polarizer that is no worse than those used in Polaroids, although their manufacturers rely on quinine iodide sulfate.

Iceland spar, the polarization of which has become the topic of many scientific works, can be completely transparent, yellowish, pinkish, with a blue tint.

Any paint is evidence of foreign impurities. Thus, boron or chromium can give a blue tint.

Pink color often indicates an admixture of manganese, and yellow indicates the presence of iron and sulfur.

An Iceland spar prism can be from 5 millimeters to more than a meter in height.

If the aggregates are without impurities, their perfect crystal lattice excludes the possibility of luminescence in ultraviolet rays.

This property, or rather its absence, allows us to evaluate the quality of calcite crystals. Luminescent stones are considered second grade.

Iceland spar mining

Calcite is the most common rock-forming mineral on Earth. There is no shortage of stone.

Therefore, collectors are chasing, as they say, delights, for example, the largest and most transparent crystals.

In Russia there are such in the Evenki region. This is in the Krasnoyarsk region. Iceland spar crystals are found here , and they are absolutely pure and transparent.

In other deposits in Russia, the crystals are smaller, usually up to half a meter in length, or several tens of kilograms.

Searches can be organized in Crimea, where Mount Kastel is famous for its large spar rhombohedrons.

There are worthy examples in Yakutia, in the north of the Irkutsk region, in Tuva and in the subpolar Urals.

However, most of these deposits contain yellowish crystals that are slightly luminescent.

One of them is exhibited in the Mining Museum of St. Petersburg. The building stands on Vasilyevsky Island. The weight of the exhibit is 300 kilograms.

Although domestic samples are impressive, the most remarkable stones are found in the Republic of South Africa, Mexico and the USA.

One of the large deposits is located near New York. Mining requires special care.

As a rule, Iceland spar is several times more fragile than the surrounding rocks.

As they get closer to the crystals, quarry workers become jewelers, literally cutting the stones rather than chiseling them.

The slightest crack affects the properties of calcite, especially if the optical axis of Iceland spar .

The damage may not be visible to the naked eye, but the effects of the damage are noticeable.

Conclusion: - explosives are not used in calcite quarries. All mining is done manually.

This, of course, affects the price of the mineral. But, more on that later. In the meantime, let’s find out what products are worth paying money for.

Applications of Iceland spar

The mineral is not classified as an ornamental mineral. The craftsmen are not satisfied with the very fragility of the stone, its softness.

However, some samples are still cut. These are, so to speak, experimental, piecework works.

Thus, one of the crystals found in the vicinity of New York was cut in the shape of a square weighing almost a kilogram. This is 4620 carats.

Given such a scale, the stone is quite durable and fits perfectly into interiors, naturally as a souvenir and collection piece. Iceland spar is not used in jewelry.

The optical properties of spar are naturally useful in the optical industry, as well as in optoelectronic systems.

Monocrystals act as polarizers in them and help control light rays.

The magical properties of Iceland spar have also been used . Unlike ordinary calcite, which helps in mundane matters, the Icelandic variety of the stone activates the 8th chakra.

Anyone who is familiar with yoga knows that there are 7 chakras within the physical body.

The eighth is located on the edge of the astral body, above the head, called viracocha, consonant with the name of the Creator.

That is, the 8th chakra identifies the connection with Heaven and Gods. Accordingly, Iceland spar helps to foresee and promotes spiritual development.

If the mineral is crushed, it is suitable as a medicinal drug. At least that's what the medical treatises of Ancient China say.

Iceland spar powder, and calcite in general, was used there as an antipyretic and a remedy for diseases of the respiratory system.

If the above gave you a reason to buy Iceland spar , the next chapter is for you.

Iceland spar price

The price of the mineral depends on the size of the crystals and their purity. Thus, a completely transparent sample weighing 15 carats is estimated at almost 40,000 rubles.

A crystal of the same size, but with chips and cracks, is sold for a couple of thousand, or even less.

Price tags are also low for cut stones, that is, pieces separated from the original unit. A sample of 2 by 2 centimeters can be purchased for less than 100 rubles.

When purchasing Iceland spar, it is important to check its birefringence and hardness. Externally, the stone will pass for ordinary glass.

But the latter is as much as 3-4 points harder than calcite, which means it will scratch it. In addition, glass has different optical parameters.

It is convenient to check them, so to speak, live. If a mineral is purchased via the Internet, it is advisable to request a video with an examination of the selected crystal.

This is the case if you are communicating with the seller for the first time and do not know whether you should trust him.