Home > American Minerals II – April 7 > MS1553 Rhodochrosite

Rhodochrosite - Sold


Rhodochrosite is simple manganese carbonate, with the same crystal structure as calcite. Lampadius coined the name rhodochrosite in volume 3 (1800) of his Sammlung praktisch-chemisches Abhandlungen und vermischter Bemerkungen (Hausmann, 1813). The mineral name combines Greek roots rhodo, rose and chrosis, coloring. Rhodochrosite often forms distinct crystals, which combined with their innate coloration due to manganese, engender special significance for mineral collectors. One collector specializing in rhodochrosite wrote an entire book about the species (Logan, 2014). Rhodochrosite occurs in many geological environments, including within metal-bearing igneous intrusions. The Henderson mine is just such an occurrence, itself a major porphyry molybdenum deposit.

Rhodochrosite here forms curved pink crystals to 1.1 cm. The crystals appear to be twinned by rotation around the three fold axis. They are scattered over a rather flat matrix consisting of altered (sericitized) rock covered in small (2-3 mm) quartz crystals. Not many specimens preserved from this locality.