Scientific Name: Sphaerocobaltite
Group: Carbonates
Chemical composition: (Ca,Co)CO3
Colors: Red to pink – especially prized in its druzy form
Hardness: 3.5 to 4
Formation: Rhombohedrons and scalahedrons; Druzy.
Principal Sources: Zaire; Germany; Mexico
Special Notes: Cobalt Calcite is named for its composition of cobalt and carbonate (Calcite) and usually forms spherical masses or crusts with fine crystalline surfaces that are a vivid pinkish red. Other names for Cobalt Calcite include Sphaerocobaltite, Cobaltocalcite, and cobaltian-calcite. The mineral is found in cobalt bearing veins that have been affected by carbonated waters. It is found in many cobalt ore locations around the world, but it is the mines of Shaba, Zaire that have produced the most outstanding specimens. Some specimens are draped with acicular dark green malachite crusts and the combination makes for a very colorful specimen.