Rhodochrosite

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Classic old Japanese specimen, the top of this matrix is covered with beautiful pink bladed crystals of rhodochrosite measuring to 1.0 cm in size. Slight damage is present, this still extremely nice. One often sees botryoidal crystallized specimens from this famous locality on the market, bladed crystals such of this are much less common. The Oppu Mine in Aomori Prefecture, Japan was a significant base metal mine that operated primarily during the 20th century and produced copper, lead, and zinc from hydrothermal vein deposits. Mining development expanded in the early 1900s with underground workings following sulfide rich veins hosted in volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The mine was known for both its ore production and for well crystallized mineral specimens, including pyrite, sphalerite, galena, and quartz. Like many Japanese metal mines, operations declined in the later decades of the century due to resource depletion and changing economics, and the mine is now closed but remains of interest to mineral collectors and historians.