Sandstone with a calcite vein is a sedimentary rock formed when calcium carbonate-rich fluid infiltrates cracks in established sandstone. Collectors look for the striking contrast between the gritty, earth-toned sandstone matrix and the brighter, sometimes translucent crystalline calcite.
Is this sandstone with calcite vein?
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 sandstone with calcite vein with a known reference. Sandstone With Calcite Vein sits at Mohs 3-7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Read the textureLook at a fresh break with a hand lens. Texture: Clastic. Grain size: Sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm).
- 3Pick out the mineralsComposition: Sandstone of mostly quartz or feldspar grains, cut by calcite veins. Identify the two or three most abundant grains.
- 4Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: dull to vitreous.
- 5Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: tan, brown, red, white.
Often confused with
Sandstone With Calcite Vein vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside sandstone with calcite vein
Minerals reported to co-occur with sandstone with calcite vein. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Mohs hardness
- 3-7
- Density
- 2.2-2.6 g/cm³
- Luster
- Dull to vitreous
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Fluorescence
- Calcite veins may fluoresce white, yellow, or pink under UV
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Decorative, Collector, Lapidary
- Host rock
- sedimentary strata
- Texture
- Clastic
- Grain size
- Sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm)
- Composition
- Sandstone of mostly quartz or feldspar grains, cut by calcite veins
Where rockhounds find sandstone with calcite vein
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- United States
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Australia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: sedimentary strata. If you start seeing calcite, quartz, hematite in float, you are in the right ground. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Michigan. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify sandstone with calcite vein?+
Where is sandstone with calcite vein found?+
Can I find sandstone with calcite vein in the United States?+
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Find sandstone with calcite vein on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
