Rhodochrosite polished slice (1990s find)

Item Description

This item is part of a special benefit auction for the Rice Museum of Rocks & Minerals (ricenorthwestmuseum.org). Items are either deaccessions from the museum's collection or were donated by generous supporters listed below.

Auction open April 1, 2021 through April 17, 2021.

Billing for this auction will occur on Monday, April 19, for payment using PayPal or credit card. Shipping will be billed at cost, or please contact brandy@mineralauctions.com if you'd like to plan on picking up items at future shows or during a stop through Dallas.

Quite large and perfectly symmetrical, this polished Rhodochrosite slab is a classic for the best of old production out of the famous mines at Capillitas, Argentina. This is a round cross-section of a single Rhodochrosite stalactite displaying concentric rings of alternating, deep pink and light pink from center to edge. Starting at a single nucleation site with subsequent concentric growth, the continued radial growth from the core produced one fantastic stalactite with this being a single section from the much larger. The color is rich and and the coarsely crystalline nature of the Rhodochrosite is evident outer banding adds glorious detail that complements the inner rings beautifully. This gorgeous slice is from mining in the early 1990s, the best overall quality to date. A polished slice from a stalactite of rhodochrosite, showing the concentric layers of deposition that formed it. It is complete! 109 grams.