Pink Opal Rain Drop Cut Ring

Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral of the Calcite group. It occurs mainly as massive aggregates or in granular, botryoidal, nodular, or stalactitic forms, though rare, transparent rhombohedral and scalenohedral crystals are found. Rhodochrosite forms in hydrothermal veins of copper, lead, and silver mines, and as secondary deposits in sedimentary layers of manganese oxide. The name Rhodochrosite comes from the Greek rhodos, meaning “rose,” and khros, meaning “color,” and refers to its vivid pink to rose-red color. It has a vitreous and pearly luster, often banded in layers ranging from white or light pink to nearly red and opaque. Though most Rhodochrosite is in the pink to red color range, it can also be yellowish, orange, or brown. It is often confused with the manganese silicate, Rhodonite, but is distinctly softer with white banding rather than the black veins of manganese oxide present in Rhodonite.