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| Mineral Name: |
rhodonite |
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| Gem Names: |
rhodonite |
| Chemistry: |
(Mn, Fe, Mg, Ca)SiO3 |
| Class: |
silicate (inosilicate) |
| Crystal Sys: |
triclinic |
| Hardness: |
5.5 - 6.5 |
Specific Gravity: |
3.4 - 3.74 |
| Fracture: |
conchoidal |
Refractive Index: |
1.716 - 1.752 |
| Dispersion: |
0.010 |
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| Misc Prop: |
Rhodonite gets its color from the element manganese and it pink in color. Because it is a silicate unlike the similar rhodochrosite (a carbonate) it can often be found associated with manganese oxide minerals. These form black line patterns or sometimes dendrites in the pink silicate.
It is a relatively tough material although high in hardness. It makes very wearable jewelry in the form of cabochons. Faceted stones are very rare and collectors items only. It runs from a medium red to a light pink, but rarely a deep red.
There is a second variety known as fowlerite that is darker brown in color and not highly prized for jewelry work
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| Color: |
In gemstones, color, is often the key to naming or describing the particular variety. Hence look for this information below in the various descriptions. Color, opacity, and homogeneity often determine the placement of value on any given stone, and are all optical properties of the particular stone. |
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