This is a very pretty mineral that is either pink or red. Unlike some minerals, it does not have any industrial uses. Instead, it is used primarily in jewelry and as mineral specimens. Stones used for jewelry often have inclusions of black manganese oxide along with the red of the rhodonite.
The name comes from the Greek word for “rose” or “rosy.” It was formally named in 1819 by Christoph Friedrich Jasche.
Technically, it is a manganese inosilicate, with a Mohs hardness of 5.5 to 6.5. It is a relatively uncommon mineral, found in metamorphic rocks in a few deposits in different places in the world, including Australia, Brazil, Russia, Sweden, Peru, England, and the United States. Rhodonite is the state gem of Massachusetts.
Metaphysically, it is said to have a strong energy of love, altruism, and generosity. It is said to be associated with the root (1st) and heart (4th) chakras, and is said to help people fulfill their destiny.
It is one of the birthstones associated with the Taurus astrological sign.
We have a number of fabulous rhodonite cabochons suitable for jewelry designs on our website, http://www.heartofstonestudio.com.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodonite, http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/rhodonite.html, http://www.mindat.org/min-3407.html, http://geology.com/minerals/rhodonite.shtml, Robert Simmons, 2015, The Pocket Book of Stones.
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