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 — that is 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.
Common questions
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Find dogtooth calcite on the map
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