Calcite, also known as "Calc Spar" is a mineral which is chemically calcium carbonoate (CaCO
3
) containing 56% CaO and 44% CO
2
. However sometimes iron stains may be present which may effect its purity. Calcite occurs in typical rhombohedral form, in veins traversing various types of rocks particularly limestones. It rarely accurs as a primary constituent of igneous rocks but is common as an alteration or infiltration product, and is the dominent component of the limestones and their metamorphic derivatives , the marbles. It is extensively used in many industries like rubber, ceramic, paper, glass, paints and chemicals. Transparent variety is used in optical instruments.
Calcite occurs in differnt varieties depending upon shape of crystals, transparency and mode of formation, some of them are Nail-head spar, Dogtooth spar, iceland spar( pure transparent), Satin spar (fibrous variety), Aphrite and Argentine (lamellar variety), Stalactites
(Pendant columns), Stalagmite, Oriental Alabaster, Algerian Onyx, Calcareous Tufa, Travertine,
Calc Tufa, Agaric mineral, Rock Milk, Rock Meal, Chalk, Limestone, Marble, Lithographic stone, Pisolite, Oolite, Anthrawhite or Stink stone, Fontainbleau sandstone, Thinolite.
In India, calcite is found in the states of Andhra Pradesh (Anantapur, Mahabubnagar); Gujarat
(Amreli, Broach, Gohilwad, Halar, Kutch, Panch Mahals): Madhya Pradesh (Nimar) Tamilnadu (
Salem, Tiruchirapalli); Maharashtra (wardha); Hariyana (Mohindergarh), Uttar Pradesh
(Mirzapur), Rajasthan( Ajmer, Jaipur , Pali, Sikar, Udaipur, Rajsamand). The total reservs of calcite in India are estimated at 10573 thousand tonns. In 1994 India exported calcite to UAE,
Tanzania & Mauritius.
Rajasthan is the leading producer of calcite in the country. There are 31 mining leases for calcite in the state and about 7589 tonnes was produced during the year 1995-96. The description of the deposits in Rajasthan is given below:
(1) Maonda deposit :
The mineral occurs in steeply dipping veins near maonda village about 7 km. from railway station. The veins are about 0.75 mt. to 1 mt. in thickness and are seen criss-crossing limestone and microgranites. It is quarried in small pits. Two important quarries viz. the
Bhilkajiwali and Bada Khet in this locality have given good production.
(2) Raipur deposit :
It is about 10 kms. from the Dabla railway station on the Rewari Phulera Chord line. It occurs in the form of pockets and veins in metamorphosed impure limestone. Department of
Mines and Geology has carried out detailed prospecting work in this area by putting 25 trenches and 39300 tonnes of calcite reserves have been assessed.

Ajmer District
In Ajmer district economic & commercially exploitable calcite deposits occur at few places and these too are lean deposits.
(1 ) Siliberi - Garad ka Baria deposit :
About 0.25 km. SW of Garad ki Baria village a calcite vein nearly 1/2 mts. thick occurs in calc-schist of Ajabgarh formation.
(2) Mundoli deposit :
About 1 Km. SW of Mundoli village a calcite vein nearly 0.5 to 0.8 mt. thick has been reported in granite gneisses.
Other localities from where calcite is being mined out in little quantities are Bassi, Karla,
,Lachhipura, Kundal, Kansia & Pisangan.
Sirohi District
Calcite occurs as large crystals in the form of veins, pockets and lenses in calc-silicate rocks, impure lime stone and calc-schist of Ajabgarh group of
Delhi Super group. A good deposit of calcite is located in Khila and Khera, about 35 km. north. east of Pindwara . which is being worked out by m/ s. Wolkem India. Ltd. . Other small deposits are located near Rajpura, Tankiya, Siyawa, Kheterla, Bainsa Singh, Sanwara and Serwa-Perwa areas. Several minor occurrences of calcite veins have been reported from Bhula, Sanwara,
Tankuya, Moras etc. The details of important deposits are as under :
(1) Khila (Belka Pahar) deposit :
The deposit is located at a distance of 32 km. from Sirohi Road Railway station on the
Ahmedabad -Ajmer section of the western Railway. Pindwara town is located at a distance of
30 km. from the mine.Calcite is well exposed in almost all the mine working in the area. It generally occurs as oval to crescent shaped cappings overlying the wollastonite hill . Calcite is snow-white to white, off to brown and pale white in colur. It is crystalline in nature with rhombic shape. It is invariably associated with skarn, cavities filled with mud and decomposed lime stone patches. On the basis of work comprising 644.05 mts. drilling.
8,78,330.8 Tonnes of Calcite have been proved.
(2) Khera deposit:
The area is located at a distance of 36 km. from Sirohi road. Sirohi Road is the nearest railway station on Ahmedabad-Ajmer-Delhi section of western railway. The lithological formations encountered in the area are basic rocks, granites, pegmatites quartz veins, cherty rocks & the skarn with or without wollastonite and isolated lenses of calcite.
Calcite occurs as lensoid pockets with in skarn rocks and marble. It is white to off white in colour, crystalline showing good cleavage. It occurs generally close to quartz or pegmatite vein. On the basis of surface geological mapping and preliminary exploration six such calcite pockets have been demarcated and 8,618 tonnes of probable reserves have been assessed.
Calcite occurrences are located at Bara Guda, Budha Lelwa, Kalhab, Kapil ki
Bhagal, Pitlan Nana, Khemel Alipur, Khoral Patan, Dayalpura falling in Raipw Jaitaran tehsil.
A number of small pockets are being worked.

In Rajsamand, calcite occurs near Bera ki Bagal of Kumbhalgarh tehsil. The production is meagre.
Banswara District
Small occurrences of Calcite have been located near Serbilas. Abdulapir,
Delwara, Ghatol Kherwa etc.
A small occurrence of calcite is reported from Paparna area of Khetri tehsil.
Jaipur District
In Jaipur calcite occurs in Barna-ki-Chowki and Sakhoon.
(1) Barna-Ki-Chowki deposit :
The mineral occurs here as veins in association with ilmenite. It is inferior in quality and deposit appear to have almost pinched out.
(2) Sakhoon deposit :
Close to the Sakhoon railway station on the Phulera Ajmer Section a small calcite deposit was located. The mineral however, is not of a very high quality and mining has since been discontinued.
The occurrences of calcite are reported from Sayara, Sadarla, Gogunda Goital, Padrada,
Jadol, Dhinkali and Rabachh. The important localities are described below:
(1) Rabachh deposit:
The area is situated near village Rabachh in Gogunda tehsil . It is located about' 73 km. from Udaipur.The area contains a rich deposit of calcite, The occurre of calcite are found in the form of thin to moderatly thick veins of veriable length and thickness and in mixed zone where the calcite is found associated with decomposed limestone; Four veins of calcite exposed and five mixed zones of calcite are seen in the area. It is white in colour flaky as well as crystalline brittle in nature. On the basis of investigation 4,03 795 tonnes of calcite reserves have been calculated
.