Large “Rainbow Calcite”
This 1800.20 ct “rainbow calcite” collector stone was exhibited at the GJX show. Photo by Annie Haynes; courtesy of Kaufman Enterprises.
A remarkable large calcite recently seen at the GJX show displayed a dazzling array of colors resulting from both high dispersion and birefringence (C.S. Hurlbut and C.A. Francis, “An extraordinary calcite gemstone,” Winter 1984 G&G, pp. 222–225). Exhibited by Kaufman Enterprises (San Diego, California), the collector stone weighed 1800.20 ct (see above) and was precision cut by Italian gemstone cutter Luigi Mariani in 2024 over the course of six months. The calcite rough was mined in Brazil in the 1980s and weighed over 6000 ct. Calcite that shows these vibrant colors may be known as “rainbow calcite” in the trade. This extraordinary stone is one of the best calcite examples examined by GIA.
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