Mineral · Calcite group
Rhodochrosite
MnCO3
Rhodochrosite is manganese carbonate, the raspberry-red rhombs of the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado (state mineral) and the pink banded stalactites of Capillitas, Argentina. Sweet Home crystals are among the most valuable minerals sold; Argentine banded material is cut into slabs and cabochons. Pink colour, hardness 4 and effervescence in warm acid identify it.
| Formula | MnCO3 |
|---|---|
| IMA status | grandfathered |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
| Mohs hardness | 3.5–4 |
| Group | Calcite group |
| Type locality | Cavnic, Romania (historical) |
| Streak | White |
| Specific gravity | 3.7 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Fakes and treatments
Banded rhodochrosite is sometimes stabilised with resin; red Sweet Home crystals have been faked by gluing loose crystals onto matrix.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Rhodochrosite" (Mineral). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/minerals/rhodochrosite. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-rhodochrosite,
title = {Rhodochrosite},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/minerals/rhodochrosite}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.