Rhodochrosite (rare crystals for the locality) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

Rhodochrosite from Argentina is world famous for it's fantastic red and pink color, but it's typically found in uncrystallized, concentratic banded / stalactitic masses. The material is often cut and polished to reveal the beautiful patterns. CRYSTALLIZED specimens from this locality are incredibly hard to find, and this miniature display piece features defined rhombohedra of Rhodochrosite which seem to have formed in multiple generations as they shows a rich reddish-pink hue at the base, with a secondary overgrowth of a soft pink semi-botryoidal Rhodochrosite on the top. Several of the crystals are in great shape, though there are some contacts around the periphery were it detached from the pocket wall. The largest crystal measures 1.7 cm across. If you collect worldwide Rhodochrosite, you NEED to have this piece in your collection because crystallized specimens like this are nearly impossible to obtain from any Argentine locality. Ex Kay Robertson Collection with a hand-written label from Alfredo Petrov. Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Welt" November-December 2017).