Typically found in Peru (the Uchucchacua district and other Andean polymetallic mines), it is a variety of calcite in which some of the calcium is replaced by manganese in the crystal lattice, giving it hues ranging from pale pink to deep pinkish-orange. It forms by hydrothermal precipitation in low- to medium-temperature polymetallic veins, often in association with rhodochrosite, galena, and sphalerite, in deposits associated with Tertiary Andean volcanism. It typically crystallizes as well-formed scalenohedra or rhombohedra. Hardness 3 on the Mohs scale, density 2.71–2.8 g/cm³, perfect rhombohedral cleavage, strong double refraction.

Highly sought after by collectors for its vivid pink-orange hues, it is often marketed as “Peruvian pink calcite”; used in decoration and display; fragile due to its perfect cleavage, it requires careful handling.