Rhodonite

specimen number:
2354133

location:
Morro da Mina, Conselheiro Lafaiete, Minas Gerais, Brazil

description:
Absolutely gorgeous thumbnail specimen, a sharp blocky lustrous perfect gemmy red crystal of rhodonite without matrix. In perfect condition. This weighs 6.63 g.

Located in Conselheiro Lafaiete, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the Morro da Mina mine is a historic, long-lived manganese deposit that opened in the late nineteenth century and has been extensively worked for industrial manganese ore. Geologically, the deposit consists of metamorphosed manganese protores known as gondites, formed within Precambrian sedimentary sequences. The mine is world-famous among mineral collectors and museums for producing exceptional, highly sought-after specimens of rhodonite, a vibrant pink to cherry-red silicate mineral. Unlike typical rhodonites that are heavily veined with black manganese oxides, specimens from this locality frequently display brilliant transparency, deep coloration, and well-defined crystal forms, making them some of the finest examples of the species discovered anywhere in the world.

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