Rhodochrosite Buying Guide

A Guide to Buying Rhodochrosite

Rhodochrosite is the common name for the mineral known as manganese carbonate, derived from the Greek word for rose-colored. It was first discovered in silver mines of Romania, occurring as a hydrothermal vein mineral in low temperature ore deposits. Rhodochrosite is commonly found as stalactites and stalagmites although there are a few locations in the world that produce large size crystals, some of the finest specimens of which come from the Sweet Home Mine in Alma Colorado. It has also been found in many other places in the world such as Canada, Greece, Mexico, Kazakhstan, and South Africa, but the majority found circulating in the gem and mineral trade comes from Argentina.

PGR9980 - Faceted Rhodochrosite Gemstone - Very Rare!

The perfect specimen of rhodochrosite would be a rose-red color, but more commonly you will find it in shades of pink to pale brown due to impurities. Typically rhodochrosite specimens will also have bands of white running throughout them which often detracts from the naturally transparent to translucent property of the material. Because rhodochrosite is very soft it is not commonly faceted, eye clean clarity would be ideal especially for a faceted stone or crystal but often internal fractures or inclusions can actually add to the beauty of cabochons and carvings.

Because rhodochrosite is relatively inexpensive it can be found in all shapes and sizes imaginable. It is commonly found cut into thin slices and polished to bring out the natural patterns and concentric rings throughout, cabochons are also very typical, carvings are far more unique to find. Its price ranges from pennies to dollars per carat retail for low to medium grade, high grade specimens can fetch premiums in excess of $500 per carat.

Rhodochrosite Properties (Manganese Carbonate)

Composition	MnCO₃
Refractive Index	nω=1.814 - 1.816 nε=1.596 - 1.598
Specific Gravity	3.5 to 3.7
Hardness (Mohs)	3.5 to 4.0
Crystal System	Trigonal
Cleavage	rhombohedral carbonate cleavage in three directions
Colors	Rose-red, pink, brown
Enhancements	Rhodochrosite is usually not enhanced
Handling	Due to the soft nature of rhodochrosite thinner specimens are relatively fragile and liable to break if dropped. For this reason it is an ideal stone for pendants and earrings, rings would not be a good choice of mounting.
Synthetic available?	No