Rhodochrosite and Fluorite

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Chinese rhodochrosite specimens of this rhombohedral style only came out of a few pockets in the early 2000s; and they very very rarely rival their counterparts from the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado, but this comes as close as any! Here is a fine cluster of solid color featuring a translucent, glowing strawberry-red crystal 3.6 cm tall right in the middle, with perfect balance! Surprisingly, perched behind it like a kid hanging on in a backpack, is a single, isolated, sharp fluorite crystal - a modified cuboctahedron, gemmy and transparent, 1.2 cm. This is also a famous combination from both China and Colorado, known from only a few pockets in each mine but even more rare from China. If you did not know this was Chinese, one could easily assume this was a classic 1990s specimen from the famous Four Ball Pocket at the Sweet Home Mine, and add another digit to the price because of a general premium paid for such USA specimens. And yet, it looks the same. One of the finer Chinese rhodo's in the size and price range, more rare, and a relative bargain the way rhodochrosites are now priced on the USA market. Dr. Pohl bought this when they first came out. Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher - 78810