Today’s gemstone of the day is another pretty pink gem: rhodochrosite. Rhodochrosite gets its name from the Greek, meaning “rose colored.” It is a manganese carbonate mineral with a hardness of only about 3.5-4 on Moh’s scale. Rhodochrosite forms by the oxidation of manganese-bearing ores in a carbonate environment (for example, stalagmites and stalactites in caves). It is found in Argentina, Peru, Colorado and Montana, U.S, and Quebec, Canada.
One of the diagnostic features of rhodochrosite (in addition to its low hardness) is that it will react to acid (geologists commonly carry a small vial of weak hydrochloric acid when doing field work – I call it weak acid, but I stupidly melted a pair of hiking pants one time when I left a vial of acid in my pocket while hiking.) Rhodochrosite is also fairly brittle, so I prefer not to use it in jewelry that is knocked around a lot, like rings or bracelets. It’s a beautiful stone for pendants and earrings.
I’m particularly fond of rhodochrosite that has pink and white banding on it (see below). I usually see this kind of rhodochrosite labeled as Grade B, but I find it more interesting and appealing than the more “gemmy” Grade A stones (see above).
Rhodochrosite on Wikipedia
Rhodochrosite on webmineral.com
Question of the Day: Do you have any questions about rhodochrosite? Any requests for a particular future “gemstone of the day”?
micheledodge
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I like it mixed with the black…very nice
Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to blog about all the different stones and metals – I’ve learned a LOT all in one day from reading your posts! 🙂
I’ll be checking back for more fascinating updates!