Rhodochrosite

Unknown Owner

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This aesthetic miniature from Pasto Bueno, Peru has a lovely hot pink Rhodochrosite rhomb impaled aesthetically by a lustrous, colorless, transparent Quartz crystal. It's Rhodochrosite specimens like this from the Huayllapon Mine that rank very highly for the locality - and also compare favorably to the those from the Sweet Home Mine. The large, luscious, rich pink Rhodo measures one-inch on its longest edge, has excellent luster combined with a translucent core rimmed by a 2 mm transparent, raspberry pink-red rim. The sumptuous Rhodo is intimately associated with a sharp, one and a half inch, clear Quartz crystal along with a few small Rhodochrosite crystals and several 5 to 6 mm needle Quartz crystals on one side. It is a truly aesthetic and well-balanced specimen. This mine gave up its Rhodochrosite treasure in the late 1970s, and no comparable rhombohedral crystals of quality have been found since. The combination and balance make it unique compared to other localities. This has been with Jack Halpern since it came out (purchased from Ken Roberts, who was the direct source, and travelled frequently to Peru at the time while living near Jack in the Bay Area). It is truly an irreplaceable piece and an important miniature. Featured in the book Addicted to Beauty: The Legacy of Jack Halpern (Mineralogical Record, March 2025) on page 101, fig. 93.