Name/Title
RhodochrositeEntry/Object ID
2009.62.206Description
Chemical Composition: MnCO3
Crystal System: Tetragonal System
Description: Common Name: Rhodochrosite
Chemistry: MnCO3, Manganese Carbonate
Group: Carbonates
Location: Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Colorado
Description: Small specimen with a small grouping of light red to pink angular crystals on a dark gray and white matrix.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is red to pink, sometimes almost white, yellow and brown.
Luster is vitreous to resinous.
Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is trigonal; bar 3 2/m.
Crystal Habits include the rhombohedrons and scalahedrons with rounded or curved faces that can obscure the crystal shape. Some crystals can be flattened to a bladed habit and these are sometimes aggregated into rosettes or minute crystals into spherules. Also botryoidal, globular, stalactitic, layered, nodular, vein-filling and granular. Twinning is somewhat common forming penetration twins and contact twins similar to calcite's twins.
Cleavage is perfect in three directions forming rhombohedrons.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 3.5 - 4.
Specific Gravity is approximately 3.5 (above average)
Streak is white.
Other Characteristics: Pink and white banding in massive forms, non-fluorescence and specimens effervesce easily with dilute acids.
Associated Minerals include calcite, ankerite, alabandite, rhodonite, bementite, spessartine, fluorite, manganite, quartz and many metal sulfides.
Best Field Indicators are color, crystal habit, reaction to acid, non-fluorescence and perfect cleavage.
Fracture: conchoidal
Hardness: 3 Calcite
Luster: Vitreous
Occurrence: Rhodochrosite occurs as a hydrothermal vein mineral along with other manganese minerals in low temperature ore deposits.
Rock Type: Sedimentary
Specific Gravity: 3.5
Streak: white
Variety: Rhodochrosite (whose name means rose-colored) is a very attractive mineral with an absolutely one-of-a-kind, beautiful color. Although it can be an ore of manganese, it is its ornamental and display specimen qualities that make it a very popular mineral. The color of a single crystal can just astound the observer with its vivid pink-rose color that seems to be transmitted out of the crystal as if lit from within. Individual crystals are found in well shaped rhombohedrons and more rarely scalahedronsCollection
RAGM Mineral CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2009.62Source or Donor
Museum Collection of MineralsAcquisition Method
DonationDimensions
Width
2-1/2 inDepth
1-3/4 inLength
2-1/2 inWeight
0.46 ozDimension Notes
Dimension taken at widest pointsLocation
Location
Display Case
DS-8Room
Delmar Smith HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
PermanentMoved By
Curtis GardnerDate
May 25, 2023Notes
Added current locationLocation
Container
RightDrawer
2nd ShelfShelf
Center, CenterWall
South wallRoom
Delmar Smith HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
PermanentMoved By
Jacob RierDate
September 25, 2009Location
Container
CenterDrawer
2nd ShelfShelf
LeftCabinet
Case #31Wall
EastBuilding
Freida Smith HallCategory
Permanent