Rhodochrosite with fluorite and pyrite — Wutong, Guangxi (624 g)

Description

This rough, blocky specimen shows prominent pink to red patches of rhodochrosite set against a pale green–grey to beige host. Surfaces are uneven and granular, with a few partly translucent pale areas and scattered metallic-looking flecks across the matrix. It is presented on a clear stand. Measuring 9 × 7 × 6.5 cm and weighing 624 g, the piece carries visible material identified as Rhodochrosite, fluorite and pyrite and comes from the Wutong mine, Wuzhou, Guangxi Province, China. The specimen’s form is largely massive and irregular rather than crystalline, with texture and colour contrasts between the pink–red rhodochrosite patches and the surrounding pale matrix. Fluorite is a calcium fluoride (CaF2) that commonly forms cubic crystals and can show fluorescence under ultraviolet light, though UV behaviour varies between individual specimens.