Cobaltoan Calcite

Cobaltoan Calcite from Musonoi, Congo

Cobaltoan Calcite, also known as Cobalt Calcite and Aphrodite Stone, is an uncommon variety of Calcite that has Cobalt impurities. Usually the amount of Cobalt within determines how pink the stone is. You’ll most likely see this mineral in tiny druzy clusters over matrix, although some areas in Europe have unearthed material able to be cut and polished. This mineral was first discovered in the Calamita mine in Tuscany, Italy. Since then, only a handful of localities have been found throughout the world. The most important veins of this mineral are currently located in the Congo, Morocco, Australia, Mexico, the UK, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland.