Crystal Calcite is a versatile, natural mineral used to create many types of inlay.
Calcite can be used as-is or dyed to emulate a variety of luxurious gemstones such as sapphire blue, ruby red, jade green and more. Other materials can be mixed in to enhance its appearance as well, such as metal filings, Mother-of-pearl or pearlescent pigments that add a shimmering translucent chatoyance effect.
​3oz. $27.95
On the Mohs Hardness Scale, Calcite has a hardness of 3.0 and is easily sanded using silicon carbine (carborundum) or aluminum oxide (corundum) sandpaper, which has a hardness of 9.0. It is durable and provides an excellent surface to polish and/or finish.
Note that these products are made from nature: there may be variations in colour and minor impurities which add to the overall natural aesthetic.
CAUTION: Drilling, sawing, sanding or machining wood products can expose you to wood dust. Avoid inhaling wood dust or use a dust mask or other safeguards for personal protection.
Mohs Hardness Scale
​Mohs scale of mineral hardness is named after the scientist, Friedrich Mohs, who invented a scale of hardness based on the ability of one mineral to scratch another. Rocks are made up of one or more minerals.
According to the scale, Talc is the softest: it can be scratched by all other materials. Gypsum is harder: it can scratch talc but not calcite, which is even harder. The hardness of a mineral is mainly controlled by the strength of the bonding between the atoms and partly by the size of the atoms. It is a measure of the resistance of the mineral to scratching.
“Mohs scale of mineral hardness.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 12 Jun 2017, 12:47 UTC.
26 Sep 2017, 18:25
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