Rhodochrosite

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This is a classic rhodochrosite specimen from the Uchucchacua Mine, Peru, featuring lustrous, rich red scalenohedral crystals measuring up to 1.2 cm. The crystals are mostly gemmy and exhibit slight cleaving not atypical of the species at this locality. Collected in the early 1990s, this piece represents material from one of the most important polymetallic silver-lead-zinc deposits in the Peruvian Andes, a locality renowned for producing vividly colored, sharply formed rhodochrosite crystals. Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate that forms in hydrothermal veins and is prized by collectors for its strong color, glassy luster, and well-developed crystal habits, all of which are well represented in this attractive example.