Rhodochrosite with Quartz

Item Description

The Zanett Tunnel is named after the family that owns the Grizzly Bear Mine outside of Ouray, Colorado. During the 1980s-1990s a lot of good specimens came out of this locality, including some very attractive Rhodochrosite specimens. The Rhodos from this mine are among some of the most sought after examples of the species by Colorado mineral enthusiasts. This small cabinet sized specimen features several sharp, well-formed, attractive, beautiful reddish-pink colored rhombs of Rhodochrosite measuring up to 1.2 cm which are associated with small "stepped" crystals of Quartz on a thin layer of matrix. There is also a very thin "drusy" layer of Quartz that is partially coating some of the Rhodochrosite crystals for a nice touch. If you look closely, you can see a very pale green hue in the Quartz crystals, which is indicative of Grizzly Bear specimens and is due to minor "Chlorite" content. Nearly all of the Rhodos are damage free, though there is a small amount of roughness on a couple crystals. Good quality and eye-catching, and impossible to find on the market these days. The label accompanying the piece is from the famous Columbine Mineral Shop in Ouray, Colorado.