Rhodochrosite

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Commenced during the 1960s, the N'Chwaning mines in the Kalahari Manganese Field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa struck black gold, in a tract of land now known to hold the world's largest concentration of land-based manganese oxides. Within the complex but rather dull-looking ore were occasional pockets of exceptional Rhodochrosite - manganese carbonate - crystals in the most perfect crystal shapes and intense red, gemmy crystals. The full story can be read about in the book, The Manganese Adventure. The crystals form beds of glossy highly elongated scalenohedral crystals developed in compact parallel groups. The sides of this specimen show a cross-section through a bed of elongated Rhodochrosite crystals and show where the sample was trimmed from a larger block, or the edges of the cavity within which it was found. This cross-section is itself quite pretty, showing the transition from black manganese oxides at its core, through cream and red and orange shades of Rhodochrosite. Across the spiky, yet domed top of the specimen, many crystals do show damage to their terminations - usually cleaved tips - but they still present extremely well as bright reflective surfaces and the intact crystals show great scalenohedral forms with a pinkish red colour to their terminations. Specimens as large as this are few and far between and if undamaged would have certainly fetched high five-figures, if not more, such is their iconic status and desirability. Although some of the mines are still operating, significant crystallized Rhodochrosite specimens have not been seen for many decades and have been locked up in private collections since then. This is a significant and substantial display specimen from this diminishing supply and long revered as a worldwide classic. The sort of specimen most collectors dream of.