Dogtooth calcite is a specific habit of calcite characterized by sharp, scalenohedral crystals that resemble a dog's tooth. These are frequently found as druzy linings in limestone cavities or as colorful, aesthetic displays alongside sulfides in lead-zinc mining districts.
Is this dogtooth calcite?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch dogtooth calcite with a known reference. Dogtooth Calcite sits at Mohs 3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Dogtooth Calcite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Dogtooth Calcite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, colorless, yellow, brown, gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: scalenohedral crystals.
Often confused with
Dogtooth Calcite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside dogtooth calcite
Minerals reported to co-occur with dogtooth calcite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CaCO₃
- Mohs hardness
- 3
- Density
- 2.71 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Scalenohedral Crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect Rhombohedral
- Fluorescence
- Often Fluorescent Under SW or LW UV
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Decorative, Educational
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins and Limestone Cavities
- Typical price
- $10-100 for cabinet-sized specimens depending on quality and association
Where rockhounds find dogtooth calcite
3 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Joplin, Missouri
- Elmwood Mine, Tennessee
- Mexico
- Cumberland, England
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins and limestone cavities country, the host setting where dogtooth calcite typically forms. If you start seeing galena, sphalerite, fluorite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a scalenohedral crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin. Start trip planning there.
More dogtooth calcite photos
Common questions
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Find dogtooth calcite on the map
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