Rhodonite
Rhodonite Products
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It was originally only found in the Ural Mountains in Russia, but can now be found in such countries as India, Mexico, Sweden, Madagascar, Brazil, and USA.
History
Rhodonite was first discovered in 1819 by C.F. Jasche. The crystal was named from the Greek word meaning “a rose”, due to it’s pink to rose red colour.
Rhodonite has been known from many centuries ago, used mainly for decorative objects and sarcophaguses. During the Middle Ages, it was considered to be a powerful stone, endowed with magical powers, bringing happiness, honour and joy.
Banded rhodonite became a very popular ornamental stone during the 1930s, after the discovery of the fine material in Argentina. These particular stones from Argentina are sometimes called Inca Rose.
Appearance
Rhodonite is a manganese metasilicate mineral. It is more commonly found in massive growth forms, with very large pieces common.
Although the lighter pink stones are becoming more popular you will see many stones that are a deeper pink or magenta stones with inclusions of black manganese oxide in them.
Certain pieces of this crystal are known to be almost entirely black, depending on the amount of manganese present. Some of the colours may relate to weathering of the stone and partial oxidisation.
