Description
Pink manganese carbonate with banding. Heart-healing stone. Specs: Weight 5-15 carats. Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral notable for its striking rose-red to pink color, making it popular with mineral collectors and as an ornamental stone. Rhodochrosite typically forms in hydrothermal veins associated with other manganese minerals and is found in silver ore deposits and metamorphic environments. Its color ranges from raspberry red to pale pink and sometimes includes white or gray banding due to calcite impurities. Pure, well-formed translucent crystals of rhodochrosite are rare, and it is usually found in massive, banded forms. Its Mohs hardness is relatively low, measuring between 3.5 and 4.5, making it somewhat fragile for jewelry use.




