Can you find "crystal" around Chengdu? Experts: It's actually calcite

This winter, many residents and tourists in Chengdu and its surrounding areas have been attracted by a new wave of exploration - digging for "crystals". Recently, Ke Ke opened the social networking platform and saw a lot of sharing notes about "digging for crystals in Chengdu". It seemed that overnight, everyone turned into treasure hunters, wanting to dig out dazzling treasures in this land.

"Last weekend, following the recommendation of netizens, I went to a hill in Sichuan's Tianfu New District to look for it, and indeed I found some 'crystals'." Mr. Zhu, a Chengdu citizen, said that the "crystals" he found looked like ordinary stones, but were hollow. If you knock on the stone, you can see the "crystals" inside, which are crystal clear.

Are these "crystals" dug out real crystals? Li Feng, director of the Planning and Design Consulting Center of the Sichuan Nuclear Geological Survey Institute, revealed that these so-called "crystals" are actually a general term that includes two minerals, calcite and real crystal, and in most cases, what people dig out is actually calcite.

Calcite dug up by Chengdu citizens. Photo provided by the interviewee

Although calcite and crystal look similar in appearance, their internal components are quite different. In geology, calcite is a carbonate mineral whose main component is calcium carbonate. It usually appears in white, gray or light yellow, with a fine texture and high transparency. In nature, calcite is a "big guy" and can be found everywhere in limestone areas.

Crystal is a crystal of silicon dioxide, which contains different trace elements and can present different colors. For example, iron elements will present purple or khaki. In addition, the crystal itself has high transparency, which makes it more popular among people.

"It's like twin brothers, similar in appearance, but different in heart." Li Feng said that although calcite itself does not have the value of a gemstone, it has a wide range of application value and can be used to make glass, porcelain, building materials, etc. In addition, calcite can also be used as an industrial raw material to produce cement, fertilizers, plastics, etc.

It is worth mentioning that although digging for "crystals" is fun, safety issues cannot be ignored. Crystals often appear in places with a lot of granite and basalt, but because the mining location is often under the rock wall, there is a risk of falling rocks or landslides, so you need to pay attention to safety at all times. And because crystals in nature may contain a small amount of elements that are harmful to the human body, it is not recommended to carry them with you, just take a photo as a souvenir.

So can crystal and calcite be mined at will? The answer is of course no.

According to the Mineral Resources Law of the People's Republic of China, mining without a mining license is illegal. The crime of illegal mining refers to the violation of the provisions of the Mineral Resources Law, mining without a mining license, entering the state-planned mining area, mining areas of great value to the national economy and other people's mining areas without authorization, or mining specific minerals that are subject to protective mining by the state, and the circumstances are serious.

Therefore, if individual hobbyists do not obtain the corresponding mining license when digging crystals in the wild, or if they enter the above-mentioned prescribed area to mine, such behavior may be subject to legal prosecution. Even small-scale collection in non-specific areas may cause damage to the ecological environment and affect geological stability.

"Of course, digging for crystals is essentially a way for us to get close to nature and explore its mysteries," said Li Feng. "In this process, we must learn to respect nature and protect the environment. Perhaps the best way is to use a camera to record the beauty of nature and allow this fun to continue for a long time."