Carbonate group minerals:

Calcite CaCO3 Colourless or white; sometimes grey, yellow, or light shades of pink, green or blue.
Magnesite MgCO3 White or colourless; Fe-bearing varieties may be yellow or brown.
Huntite Mg3Ca(CO3)4 White.
Rhodochrosite MnCO3 Rose-pink, pink, red, brown or brownish yellow.
Kutnahorite CaMn(CO3)2 White, often tinged yellowish brown or pink.
Siderite FeCO3 Yellowish brown, brown or dark brown.
Ankerite Ca(Mg,Fe ,Mn)(CO3)2
2+
White, yellow, yellowish brown or brown.
Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 Colourless or white, often tinged with yellow or brown.
Aragonite CaCO3 Colourless or white.
Strontianite SrCO3 Colourless, white, yellow, greenish or brownish.
Witherite BaCO3 Colourless, white, greyish or light yellowish brown

Stain tests for carbonates: (the following dyes are dissolved in cold dilute HCl)

Mineral Effect of acid Stain colour with Stain colour with Stain colour with
etching with Alizarin Red S potassium ferricyanide combined dyes

Calcite (non-ferroan) Considerable (relief reduced) Pink to red-brown None Pink to red-brown
Calcite (ferroan) Considerable (relief reduced) Pink to red-brown Pale to deep blue Mauve to blue

Dolomite (non-ferroan) Negligible (relief maintained) None None Colourless

Dolomite (ferroan) Negligible (relief maintained) None Very pale blue Very pale blue or turquoise

Weathering characteristics of manganocarbonates:

Involves the production of a superficial brown or black layer of complex manganese oxides: eventually alter to manganite (MnO.OH) or to
pyrolusite (MnO2).
Staining technique:

1. Etch thin section by placing face-down in warm HF bath for 15-30 seconds.
2. Immerse section in a solution of sodium cobaltinitrite (60g per 100-cm 3 water) for 15-20 seconds.
3. Rinse section immediately with water.
4. Potasssium feldpsar takes a pale yellow stain (though white mica and some clays may also take up
this stain, these are distinguished by their different relief and intensity of stain).