Manganese ore is not "fierce", but a little "cute"

Among all kinds of minerals, those named in the form of "smithsonite" belong to carbonate minerals, such as the smithsonite introduced to you before, which is composed of zinc carbonate.

The museum's collection of smithsonite specimens

This time we bring you another mineral named in this form - rhodochrosite.

Rhodochrosite specimens in the collection

Like smithsonite, rhodochrosite crystals are also rhombohedral, but this is under ideal conditions. In fact, complete rhombohedral crystals are rare. There are also canine-tooth, columnar or plate-shaped crystal forms. However, for similar reasons to other carbonate minerals (mainly exogenous, wide distribution, etc.), its crystals are more in the form of aggregates and are stalactite-shaped, kidney-shaped, grape-shaped, etc.

The rhombohedral crystals of rhodochrosite are staggered to form a rose shape

Since manganese is the main coloring element of minerals (titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, etc.), rhodochrosite mainly presents rose red or pink tones. However, this is also an ideal state. In fact, manganese is often replaced by other elements to present other colors. For example, the higher the calcium content, the lighter the color becomes. If it is completely replaced by calcium, it becomes white calcium carbonate. Therefore, pure rhodochrosite is rare in nature, and the rose red color of pure rhodochrosite is also the origin of its English scientific name Rhodochrosite. "Rhodo" and "chros" are derived from the Greek "rhodon" and "chrosis", meaning "rose" and "color". "ite" is a common suffix of the scientific name of minerals.

The scientific name of rose (picture from the Internet, please delete if infringement)

As an industrial mineral, rhodochrosite contains 35%-45% manganese and is an important source of manganese. Manganese was first used as a pigment and was used by people in the Stone Age for cliff paintings or cave paintings. In modern industry, it can be added to steel to make hard and tough high-strength manganese steel. In addition, it is also used in the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries, and is one of the trace elements needed by the human body.

There is a saying in the steel industry that "no manganese, no steel" (Picture from the Internet, please delete if infringed)

However, when the ideal crystal form and ideal purity are both available, rhodochrosite will show amazing beauty. For example, the rhodochrosite found in the Andes Mountains of South America has a smooth surface and beautiful red and white layers on the cut section. It is known as the "Inca Rose" because its origin is the birthplace of the ancient Inca civilization. But when it comes to roses, a more vivid example is a specimen produced in Cangwu, Guangxi, my country. The complete bright red rhombohedral crystals are stacked and arranged in a three-dimensional petal shape. Because the appearance, single crystal size and overall volume are the best in China, it is known as the "Chinese Emperor". Another slightly smaller specimen discovered at the same time is known as the "Chinese Queen". It caused a sensation at the 55th Tucson International Mineral Show in 2011.

Rhodochrosite "Chinese Emperor" (Picture from the Internet, please delete if infringed)

Although most people have only heard of this legendary emperor and empress but have never seen it in person, this does not prevent enthusiasts from owning a piece of raw ore or a processed piece of jewelry. Polished and processed rhodochrosite is also called rhodonite because of its red and white lines. Among them, a very small number of pure colors, transparent and without white lines are even more precious and beautiful, similar to the "ice type" in jade. However, no matter what kind of rhodonite, the composition is manganese carbonate, and it also has the weaknesses of carbonate minerals such as low hardness (3.5~4), not resistant to bumps, and cannot come into contact with acid. Be extra careful when wearing and collecting.

Rhodonite jewelry (picture from the Internet, please delete if infringed)