Calcite, Germany

Can you help make this a better article? What good localities have we missed? Can you supply pictures of better specimens than those we show here? Can you give us more and better information about the specimens from these localities? Can you supply better geological or historical information on these localities?

Calcite
CaCO₃ trigonal

Here will go a good picture of a calcite specimen from Germany and general remarks about the calcite from this country. Here are some url's to some of the better German calcite specimens here on Mindat that can be considered for inclusion in the article. These, in most cases are just for temporary use until we can get images of the much better specimens that are almost certainly out there. We should also consider that there are probably localities out there with fine specimens that are not even mentioned on Mindat. Also in some instances there are sometimes pictures on Mindat, of specimens from a locality, but they were so ratty that I did not include them here, but there may also be really good specimens from there that we should talk about in this article.

Calcite
Germany
Kaiserstuhl, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
[www.mindat.org]


Schelklingen, Schwäbische Alb Mts, Baden-Württemberg,

Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Hühnerkobel Mt., Rabenstein, Zwiesel, Bavarian Forest,

Lower Bavaria, Bavaria, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

St Andreasberg District, Harz Mts, Lower Saxony, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]


Alverdissen Quarry, Alverdissen, Extertal, Eastern

Westphalia, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Ebel quarry, Herdringen, Arnsberg, Sauerland, North

Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Calcite quarry, Holzen, Arnsberg, Sauerland, North

Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Bleiwäsche quarry, Bleiwäsche, Bad Wünnenberg,

Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Lahrmann quarry, Rösenbeck, Brilon, Sauerland, North

Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Theresia mine, Brilon, Sauerland, North

Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Gravel works quarry, Thülen, Brilon, Sauerland, North

Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Hohenlimburg quarry, Oege, Hohenlimburg, Hagen,

Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Becke-Oese quarry, Menden, Iserlohn, Sauerland, North

Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Grevenbrück quarry, Lennestadt, Sauerland, North

Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Meggen Mine, Lennestadt, Sauerland, North

Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]


Dörnberg Mine, Ramsbeck, Meschede, Sauerland, North

Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Kuhn Quarry, Waldhambach, Bad Bergzabern,

Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Juchem Quarry, Niederwörresbach, Idar-Oberstein,

Hunsrück Mts, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Basalt AG Quarry ("Ferdinand Kloos" Quarry), Langenthal,

Monzingen, Hunsrück Mts, Rhineland-Palatinate, German
[www.mindat.org]

Consolidierte Gute Hoffnung Mine, Werlau, St Goar,

Hunsrück Mts, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Lenz Quarry, Rockenhausen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Slate quarry, Kaub, Taunus Mts, Rhineland-Palatinate,

Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Schäfer quarry, Hahnstätten, Niederneisen, Taunus Mts,

Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Einheit Mine, Elbingerode, Wernigerode, Harz Mts,

Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Reiche Zeche Mine, Himmelfahrt Mine, Freiberg, Freiberg

District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Beihilfe Mine, Halsbrücke, Freiberg District,

Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Junge Hohe Birke Mine, Langenrinne, Freiberg District,

Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
[www.mindat.org]

Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Manganese deposit, Ilfeld, Nordhausen, Harz Mts,

Thuringia, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Hello,

As to the Kaiserstuhl: It's an area of 10x15 km, NW of the town of Freiburg. There are hundreds of tertiary volcanoes several douzens of actual outcrops, but mostly nature preservation areas. Although most of the minerals are MM to thumbnail size (even calcite), there are a few bigger ones.

The Limberg near Sasbach (7 quarries from 19th centuries rhine regulation program, now under protection) have white to pale yellowish brown balls of calcite (some are in fact dolomite) up to 1 cm and botryoidal crusts as well as good xls, whch are usually not more than a few mm. Other quarries, that have produced some calcite are Kirchberg quarry at Niederrotweil and Fohberg (Hauri) quarry at Bötzingen.

But I don't think we shall include these into a best minerals calcite Germany site, as there are still better locations.

There are some, that could be mentioned:

Federal State
Localities

Schleswig-Holstein
Baltic Sea cost (e.g. Weißenhäuser Strand): Fibrous calcite, called locally 'Ostseejade' (Jade from the baltic sea). Pieces up to several cm in width at the beach gravel. The colour is like amber or yellow or greenish yellow (due to clay). Formed in tertiary clay layers. Has often a silky luster (like fibrous gypsum).

Lower Saxony
There have been lots of clay pits in the area around Hannover, bearing siderite septarias with nice colourless to white or yellow calcites on siderite, rarely galena, sphalerite or whewellite have been found. Then there are some limestone quarries.

In the Harz Mts. there has been found lots of calcite in the famous mines (Clausthal, Bad Grund, St. Andreasberg), the last being the most famous in that area. Calcite there is often associated with galena, tetraedrite or even silver ores.

Near Bad Grund there is the Winterberg quarry which surely has to be mentioned. It producedes liestone and has lots of calcite specimen.

Saxony-Anhalt
In the eastern part of the Harz Mts. bigger Calcites have been found at Einheit mine, Elbingerode. There are some more localities, but that area is not of special interest to me so I don't know much about it.

North Rhine-Westphalia
Sauerland: There calcites up to 40 cm have been found.

Also Ascheberg near Münster has produced Calcite, there together with strontianite.

Saxony
Schneeberg: Schneeberg itself not so much, but the district of Schlema-Hartenstein-Aue (directly east and northeast of Schneeberg). During uranim mining the former SDAG/SAG Wismut (1945-91) in the German Democratic Republic (1945-1990) produced good calcite specimen. Other uranium mines like Marienberg have also produced some.
Then there have been marble/limestone quarries like Rabenstein (a part of the town of Chemnitz, the underground workings are today a museum), Tharandt or Herold, which have also produced calcites.

At Richter quarry, Hammerunterwiesenthal, clear prismatic calcites up to several cm have been found, sitting on natrolite.

In the Vogtland, Schönbrunn (fluorite mine 'Partriot') and Bösenbrunn (Glockenpöhl quarry) have produced quite nice prismatic calcites up to sevral cm. At Schönbrunn Mn-bearing Calcite is quite common.

Freiberg mining district: Many mines there have produced fine white to colourless (but also other colours) calcites. Calcite is a common paragenesis mineral of silver in that district, often the silver being included in calcite. Famous mines are Himmelsfürst mine, Brand-Erbisdorf and Himmelfahrt mine, Freiberg. Botryoidal aggregates of calcite have been found on baryte at Beihilfe mine, Halsbrücke. At Seifersdorf quarry calcites up to 10 cm have been found. I myself have seen a cleft covering the whole quarry wall, but the quarry has been filled with dirt and gravel.

Baden-Württemberg
At Grimmelsofen Quarry calcite druzes up to dm-size have been found.

In the Alb area there are a lot of quarries in jurassic limestone, having calcite xls, even caves with calcite stalactites are common. You can add the area around Ulm, which is famous for nice calcites, even twins. Parts of the area north of the danube river are Bavaria.

In the Black Forest Calcite is quite widespread, sometimes forming major parts of the vein, often in silver-rich ones, but good xls are far more rare.

Localities are Artenberg quarry (quite big ones up to dm-size, often white or pale rosé but sometimes phantoms of hematite. I have a quite nice specimen with Calcite growing on a dolomite pseudomorph after calcite, which is repeated two times. Often with green fluorite octahedrons).

Clara Mine: Primary calcite rarely as flat rhombohedrons together with fluorite and dolomite or small scalenohedrons, secondary white prisms and needles with quartz, baryte and clinoclase, azurite and cornwallite or as small balls (could sometimes be monohydrocalcite)

Wittichen mining district: Yellow scalenohedrons up to cm-size from Sophia mine, from the old mines botryoidal to stalactitic aggregates, often pink due to cobalt.

Todtnau mining district: Especially Brandenberg, Gauch and Anna mine, and Wieden mining district (Anton, Tannenboden, Finstergrund mines)

Gottesehre Mine: Primarily pale pink to pinkish white manganoan calcites, often anly as cleaved rhombs, sometimes brownish xls (due to goethite/wad inclusions), secondary as water-clear prisms up to 2 cm.

Schauinsland mining district

Teufelsgrund mine, Münstertal: nice calcites up to several cm, classic locality, lots of different shapes

Regards,
Sebastian Möller

Sebastian,
Would you possibly be interested in writing the article on German calcites? It will be a long time before I ever get around to doing it and someone who specializes in German minerals would do a much better job. All that stuff I put in above was just to act as a place holder and a lightning rod to find someone more qualified than myself.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Hello,

I can do some parts of it, yes. But in some areas like Sauerland or Harz I don't have much experience, but some literature. At the moment my time is limited, but that will aget better in a few months.

And I have some specimen I maybe can take pictures from.

Regards,
Sebastian Möller



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2009 12:31PM by Sebastian Möller.

Hi Rock & Sebastian,
der Harjo hatte mir das "Projekt",Deutsche Calcitfundstellen schon vorgeschlagen,nur braucht es dazu ein Konzept.Denn im gegensatz zu Belgien ist Deutschland etwas größer und von den Fundstellen her auch sehr verschieden.Wenn ihr jede Lokalität aufnehmen wollt die irgendwie interessant erscheint,wird das zu unübersichtlich.Es müsste erst einmal genau Definiert werden was unter den besten Calcitfundstellen (best off Lokality) zu verstehen ist.Ansonsten könntet ihr ja gleich auf eure normale Datenbank verweisen.Ich hatte den Harjo mal eine grobe Hochrechnung gemacht zu der Menge möglicher Lokalitäten,in mindat sind ca. 20 bis 25 % der Deutschen Fundstellen mit Bildmaterial erfasst,man müsste dann noch einiges mit Bildern erfassen,um sich einen Gesammteindruck zu verschaffen.Und das dürfe recht schwer werden.Zumal man von etlichen interessanten Funden überhaupt nichts mitbekommt.
Mehr dazu später.

Gruß und Glück auf
Ingo

Translation by Harjo:
Hi Rock and Sebastian
Harjo already told me about the German Calcite "project" but it needs a concept. On the contrary to Belgium Germany is quite a lot bigger and different in regard to the localities. If you want to add every locality that is somewhat inetersting it will become to chaotic. first we should define what we consider the best Calcite localities otherwise you could direct people straight to the normal Mindat database. I already calculated that from the possible localities only 20 to 25 % is present with photos on Mindat. We should therefore add a considerable amount of pictures to be able to get an overview. This could prove difficult because from some interesting localities nobody will give any information. More on this later.

Cheers and Glück auf
Ingo[/colour]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2009 06:03PM by Harjo Neutkens.

Ingo,
Much of what you say is valid. It is obvious that we can't cover all the German calcite localities, because like the rest of the world there are just too many of them. So a selection must be made. Initially I leave this strictly up to the judgment of the person(s) writing the article. It is probably better to start off with a more restricted list and work with the images that we have on hand. This will get something up on the board that we can build on. You will find that once you start, that people will come in with suggestions, frequently very good ones and offer to get better images for us, often from their own collections. As these are incorporated, bit by bit into the article, it will get better and better. I think we sometimes trap ourselves in the past and still think in terms of writing a book and if we don't get it right to start with, it will be impossible to fix later. That is not the case with this format which can be easily changed and improved as we go along. But whoever writes the article, if they collect and love German calcites, the article will be a lot better than it could ever be if it were written by someone like me. I just don't know enough about German calcites to do them justice. That is the strength of a Wikipedia like project like this one.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Hello,

@Ingo: So sehe ich das auch. Habe selber leider nur einen winzgen Teil der Fundstellen selber besucht. Wenn du mitmachen möchtest, kannst du das gern tun. Insbesondere bzgl. Harz, Sauerland und Pfalz bräuchte ich sicher einiges an Unterstützung. Übersetzung ist kein Problem, kann ich gern machen. Die Fülle der FO ist das Problem, da pflichte ich euch bei.

@All: Ingo struck some nerve. It's nearly impossible to name all localities in Germany that produced at least some fine calcite specimen. In my area of collecting, the Black Forest, alone there are at least several hundred locations for calcite. From those locations only 10 %, I guess, have delivered extraordinary calcite specimen. These are the ones noticed in my previous posing. But only ten of these are worth being included into a Best Minerals article. The same with other areas.

The problem with Germany: There are two different views possible:
-classic locations which have contributed good specimen to museums, such as St. Andreasberg
-locations which are still producing good specimen

We have to make a good mix of both, displaying old specimen from locations no longer open to collecting, but illustrating the interest in calcite specimen during the last 300
years, but also what has been found recently/the lasr few decades.

At the moment I have no idea how to start and which order of locations I should chose. But I think it will be most likely by Federal State and area/district, going from the north to the south.

Regards,
Sebastian Möller

Sebastian,
That sounds like a good plan, or you might consider sticking to the locality listing most of the articles are already using, namely reverse Mindat locality strings but in alphabetical order by Country, State(Province etc,) Country, etc. etc. No matter what you do you won't be able to please everyone so you may as well please yourself.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Hallo Sebastian und Rock,
ich mache euch den Vorschlag dieses Thema über eine Art Arbeitsgruppe abzuarbeiten.Dazu braucht es 3 bis 4 Personen,am besten international besetzt.Dann macht jeder von der Arbeitsgruppe 10 bis vieleicht 15 Vorschläge zu deutschen Fundstellen die ihn spontan einfallen und das sind dann in der Regel die besten deutschen Fundstellen.Man könnte das selbe Verfahren anwenden wie es die Lapis in ihren Calcitheft gemacht hat.Ich habe eine einigermaßen Übersicht über die deutschen Fundstellen,also Angst habe ich keine vor diesen Artikel,dehalb weiß ich aber auch was ich schreibe.
Aber noch ein Problem gibt es,man verfällt immer automatisch dazu einzelne Fundstellen zu benennen und das gibt dann halt die riesige Datei.Wenn man übergeht sich anhand von Lagerstätten zu orientieren halte ich das für optimaler.
So ist das Erzgebirge eine Lagerstätte mit hunderten Bergwerken und überall hat man mal schöne Calcite gefunden.Ähnlich ist das mit der Devonischen Riffzohne die vom Harz bis nach Nordfrankreich verläuft,auf dieser Riffzohne gibt es massenhaft Steinbrüche die immer mal wieder gute Calcite liefern.Als Bespiel ist zu sehen,der Steinbruch Winterberg im Harz,Grube Einheit im Harz,Rösenbeck im Sauerland,Landelies in Belgien,Steinbruch Glageon in Frankreich,die bauen alle auf dieser einen Riffzone ab.Es währe gut die Lagerstätte zu benennen und dazu stellvertretend herausragende Fundstellen oder so.Ich hoffe ihr wisst was ich versuche damit zu sagen.

Gruß und Glück auf

Ingo

Translation (Harjo):

I would like to suggest to you to divide this article amongst three to four people, preferably of different nationalities. Then every member of the group could suggest 10 to 15 localities that one can think of immediately, those are usually the best ones. One then could use the same framework as Lapis used in their Calcite issue. I've got more or less an overview of all German Calcite localities so I'm not afraid to cooperate in the article as I know what I'm writing about. There is however another problem, usually one starts of describing all individual localitites, in this case resulting in huge data. Instead I would orientate on occurrences. For instance the Erzgebirge would be the occurrence with hundreds of mines and in all of them good Calcite specimens have been found. The same counts for the Devonian rifzone that runs from the Harz to northern France and in which many quarries are situated that have produced good Calcites. As an example: Winterberg Quarry (Harz), Einheit mine (Harz), Rösenbeck quarry (Sauerland), Landelies (Belgium), Glageon quarry (France), they all exploit the same Devonian zone. It would be a good idea to name the occurrence and then subdivide that into the best localities for that occurrence. In hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

Gruss und Glück auf

Ingo



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2009 11:42AM by Harjo Neutkens.

Hi Jungs,
nun möchte ich einen ersten "Baustein" liefern,um die besten Calcit Lokalitäten in Deutschland zu benennen.Ich arbeite aus dem Kopf heraus und verlinke mit absicht noch nicht.Auch nehme ich mir die Bundesländer einzeln vor und oder benenne Bergbaureviere.Den Anfang mache ich mit Sachsen.
-Die bekannten klassischen Reviere Schlema / Hartenstein (371 usw),Ehrenfriedersdorf,Freiberg,Schneeberg,Bräunsdorf,Pöhla ,Johanngeorgenstadt,in diesen Revieren (Districten) gab es viele Bergwerke wo immer wieder schöne Calcite gefunden wurden.Bis vor dem 2. Weltkrieg wurde dort u.a. Silber abgebaut danach Uran.

Translation(Harjo)
Hi guys,
I would like to supply the first part for naming German Calcite localities. I'm working my guts out but I purposely don't put in links yet. Also I name the states separately or name mining regions. I'll start with the state of Saxony. The most known mining areas are: Schlema/Hartenstein (371 etc.), Ehrensfriedersdorf, Freiberg, Schneeberg, Bräunsdorf, Pöhla, Johanngeorgenstadt, in these mining areas there were a lot of mines where nice Calcites have been found over and over again. Before the second world war they were mined for Silver and Uranium.

-Steinkohlerevier Döhlener Becken (ref:Lapis Feb. 06)
Coal mining region Döhlener Becken

-Kalksteinbrüche Rabenstein bei Chemnitz.Dort gab es Calcite die in Form und Qualität den Cumbria Calciten sehr nahe kamen
Rabenstein Limestone quarry near Chemnitz. It delivered Calcites that came close to the quality of the ones from Cumbria

-Der Phonolit Steinbruch "Richter" bei Hammerunterwiesental.Die Calcite waren immer in Kombination mit den dort Vorkommenden Zeoliten (Natrolit,Thomsonit usw.Auch die Formen waren recht vielseitig,vom Prisma bis zum Skalenoeder gab es alles.
Phonolite quarry Richter near Hammerunterwiesental. Calcites always in combination with Zeolites. Great diversity in forms

-Im Flusspatrevier Schönbrunn gab es ebenfalls interessante Calcite
Fluorite mining region of Schönbrunn. Interesting Calcites

-Neumark im Vogtland.Dort kamen in einen,heute nicht mehr zugänglich,Steinbruch wasserklare sehr flächenreiche Calcite vor.
Neumark in Vogtland. Quarry that is no longer in operation, it delivered water clear Calcites with many faces

Das sind so die Vorkommen in Sachsen wo ich der Meinung bin das dort die besten Calcite kamen.Die Liste simmt etwa mit der von Sebastian überein.
These are the localities from where in my opinion came the best Calcites of Saxony. The listing is similar to Sebastian's

Gruß und Glück auf
Ingo



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/2009 01:11PM by Harjo Neutkens.

Ingo is probably correct in that it should be split up among different people. Does he have any suggestions of who? I would not be competent to judge. I would suggest that he pick out a portion that he would like to work on and start the work and as it progresses he would have time to get others involved.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.