Eagle head made of Manganocalcite, beautiful hand-engraved artwork.

Mangano Calcite, also called Manganoan Calcite, is a manganese calcium carbonate mineral belonging to the calcite family. The color varies from light to dark pink depending on the manganese content. It is not uncommon for this crystal to contain white calcite inclusions, sometimes in band patterns. A. Breithaupt first discovered this mineral in 1846 in Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia, and named it for the presence of manganese, sparking a debate over the definition of mangano-calcite versus plain pink calcite. Ultimately, a threshold of 30% manganese carbonate in the crystal structure was adopted as the standard. Unfortunately, today any pink calcite on the market is often sold as "Mangano Calcite", making it difficult to find the real mineral. It is advisable to buy from a reliable supplier or store. A tip is to trace the origin, which helps determine authenticity. Most mangano calcite today comes from countries such as Romania, Peru, Bulgaria, Mexico, Madagascar, Russia, Australia and Japan.