Alpine Calcite Perfection
by Johannes Ruef
Most crystal collections grow around unique stories. Each and every find is different. Not only the minerals found, also the circumstances around the find are changing each time.
When I go through my collection, I can tell exactly where I found which specimen, who was with me that day, what the weather was like, and which animals we saw. Things like rockfall and stormy weather are all embedded to my mind forever, and it is difficult to explain the fascination to people who haven’t experienced the magic of finding a crystal yet.
One of the finds I’ll never forget is from an occurrence of high-quality calcite in my home area, which was kept a secret by locals for a long time.
Around the Weissach river in the Bregenzerwald area in Vorarlberg/Austria are outcrops of sandstone (Flysch), which can hold narrow cracks and crevices filled with clay and glossy calcite crystals, 90% in scalenohedral shape (there will be another article about the remaining 10%). The sandstone is a reddish brown, and depending on the exact location, the calcite crystals can be anywhere from clear like glass to brown like the surrounding matrix. The red-brown inclusions often form amazing stacks of phantoms within the crystals, while the surfaces are outstandingly glossy.
When I was 12 years old, my father and I were lucky enough to find one of these pockets, which sparked my passion for phantoms in all kinds of minerals. Still today, I keep numerous of them in my collection. It is, like anywhere else, becoming more and more difficult to find good veins, and the best ones are nearly exploited by now.
My friend Markus Beck is probably the one person that knows the area the best, and he uncovered the biggest known vein in the whole area. The specimens from that vein are outstanding in size, quality, shape and colour! They are often developed as bi-terminated crystals on a small piece of sandstone matrix – extremely decorative and the archetype of calcite crystals. In some veins the crystals can reach Elmwood quality, making it even more surprising that they remained so unknown for so many years – a well-kept secret of the local collectors.
Together with Markus, I had the pleasure of harvesting parts of the biggest vein a few years ago, finding crystals of up to 18 cm, in all kinds of combinations and colours. The first few metres of this calcite-bearing vein are filled with clay, then the crystals and matrix specimens are loosely puzzled together. The vein is 20 metres long and 1.5 metres wide, and by today its best parts have already been fully exploited. To go any further, a proper mining shaft would need to be built, which is not allowed since nowadays the area lies in a nature reserve with strict rules.
Now I will let the photos speak for themselves. Feel free to contact me for any further information about this find.
Fresh from the veign and still dirty, but the potential is already visible.
A double terminated crystals short after extraction.
What a nice cluster, just a little bit cleaned at the location.
Here’s a double terminated calcite with fine quality from this location. It especially shows a sharp transition of clear to brownish color. The faces are lustrous, the terminations are excellent.
Size: 5,5 x 2,5 x 2 cm
This is a very attractive cluster of 3 calcite crystals with some sub individuals. The cluster ist terminated all around and has – typically – one brown side with satiny luster while the other side is more clear and lustrous.
Size: 6,5 x 5,5 x 3 cm
This is a beautiful, very sharp calcite crystal on some matrix; the item is in excellent condition. This crystal seems to be more stretched than many others. I especially like the contrast to the matrix.
Size: 6 x 3 x 2 cm
This item has a single large calcite with excellent termination and luster. Please note the several brownish layers inside. Rotating the specimen the crystals color is changing from white to brown.
Size: 13,5 x 4,5 x 4 cm
Clear calcite from the Weissach area was found rarely, most crystals were brown with clear areas only. This quality is very good for the location; the termination is sharp and excellent.
item-size: 12,5 x 8,5 x 5,5 cm
This is one of my personal favorites! This item could be extracted without damage; it has an isolated single crystal on top of the matrix.
Size: 11,5 x 6,5 x 3 cm
This is a beautiful, very sharp calcite crystal on some matrix; the item is in excellent condition. This crystal seems to be more stretched than many others. I especially like the contrast to the matrix.
Size: 6,7 x 3,5 x 3 cm
This is a hand-sized matrix specimen that shows two perfect developed calcite-crystals. Both crystals are bicolored and free of damage; they’re attractively set on the matrix which makes the item very well displayable.
Size: 12 x 10,5 x 7 cm
This specimen shows the very best quality of calcite from Weissach. The crystals are very sharp crystallized and show the highest luster. The termination of the main crystals is complete, side crystals had rock-contact I assume.
Size: 10 x 6,5 x 2 cm
The aesthetics of this particular piece are amazing; a double-terminated, freestanding and all-around perfect scalenoeder of clear calcite is sitting on a beige piece of sandstone, giving it great contrast and a good overall assembly. Find of 2020.
Size: 7 x 6 x 3,5 cm
Click here for our selection of calcite from this location…
…and feel free to leave a comment below.