Rhodochrosite with fluorite & pyrite — Wutong, Guangxi, China — 128 g

Description

This compact blocky specimen centres on a prominent salmon‑pink to red area of rhodochrosite embedded in a pale grey‑white rocky matrix. The surface is rough and uneven with partly sparkly zones; some areas of the rhodochrosite are translucent to semi‑translucent. Irregular darker grey to black patches are present and small pyrite and fluorite are recorded in the material list. Measured at 7 × 3 × 4 cm and weighing 128 g, the piece is a handheld commercial specimen from the Wutong mine, Wuzhou, Guangxi Province, China. Texture is generally blocky rather than platy or fibrous, and the surface shows unevenness rather than a finish. Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate; in specimens from this region it commonly appears in pink to red tones. Fluorite is calcium fluoride and can form translucent to crystals, while pyrite commonly appears as metallic, brassy patches when present.