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Rhodochrosite: State Mineral of Colorado |
Written by Claudia Mann
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
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Rhodochrosite is at the top of the list when you think of Colorado minerals. It is the Colorado state mineral. Ranging from a near clear cherry red to opaque pink and white this mineral is sought after by collectors and jewelers alike. The most beautiful specimens in the world come from the Sweet Home Mine located in Alma, Colorado. Now closed, this mine produced large beautiful specimens for about 10 years in the 1990's. These specimens were often so spectacular that they sold for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Museums from around the world have a little piece of Colorado in their showcases in the form of rhodochrosite from the Sweet Home Mine! While specimens from the Sweet Home are still available, they are increasingly rare and the price continues to rise. For the collector of minerals, the price is well worth it for the Colorado beauties. Colorado Rhodochrosite Colorado "rhodo" is the bright red, crystal clear variety unlike all but one other rhodo location in the world. Interestingly, the other location for this sort of clear rhodochrosite is the Pasto Bueno mining district, located in Peru. Like the Sweet Home Mine this district is at timberline, but is a continent away. A Description Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral. Its chemical composition is MnCO<sub>3</sub>. In its purest form it is a transparent rose red, but this is fairly rare. It can also be formed in stalactites. This form can be sliced revealing circular layers of rose and pink to milky white. The alternate banding of pinks and white make it popular in jewelry. The lighter colors are formed when the manganese is replaced by calcium, manganese or zinc. The depth of color from red to pink depends on the amount of substitution. Mineral Properties This mineral is fairly soft and shows up on the Mohs harness scale between 3.5 and 4. It has a white streak. The crystal formation of rhodochrosite is rhombohedral, meaning it is like a cube, but "squished" to form and equal-sided parallogram or rhombus shape on its sides. It cleaves perfectly along each of the three planes that form the rhombohedral shape. It can be transparent to opaque. Formation Rhodochrosite is formed in hydrothermal veins in low temperature ore deposits. Locations Rhodochrosite can be found in Colorado in the USA, Kuruman, South Africa; Romania, Peru, and Argentina. Uses Rhodochrosite has a natural beauty that is prized by mineral collectors. This is especially true of the clear cherry red crystals. They are rare which only adds to their desirability. It is also popular in jewelry. Metaphysical Properties For the metaphysician this mineral attracts love to the wearer, has a positive effect on eyesight, and helps in letting go of psychological baggage. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com |
About The Author:
Find more information on Rhodochrosite at http://www.rocksandminerals4u.com/rhodochrosite.html . To see Rhodochrosite for Sale visit http://www.fossilicious.com/Rhodochrosite-c-313.html .
Find more information on Rhodochrosite at http://www.rocksandminerals4u.com/rhodochrosite.html . To see Rhodochrosite for Sale visit http://www.fossilicious.com/Rhodochrosite-c-313.html .
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