Rhodochrosite

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Japan has yielded very few significant mineral finds in its history (in the context of mineral specimen collecting), so extremely fine Japanese examples are few and far between. This Oppu mine specimen, from the very limited excavations in the 1980s, features a rich coating of Rhodochrosite of superlative color, size, and general quality. The color is a bright and deep red-pink, and the pearlescent luster emphasizes the many botryoides that make up the coating. A cross-section of the underlying matrix is revealed underneath, which contains some Pyrite. In fact, aside from this contact, the specimen is fully crystallized all-around. Oppu Mine produced all sorts of Rhodochrosite habits but the mammillary style specimens are the most famous and desirable.