Rhodonite
Pink manganese silicate veined with black, carved for a tsarina's tomb.
- Family
- Rhodonite
- Formula
- CaMn₄Si₅O₁₅
- Mohs
- 5.5 to 6.5
- System
- Triclinic
Drag to turn
Science
Rhodonite is a manganese chain silicate, pink with black veins of manganese oxide where it has weathered. It takes a fine polish and is carved as ornamental stone; the Urals produced it in blocks large enough for architecture.
- Mineral
- Rhodonite
- Formula
- CaMn₄Si₅O₁₅
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5 to 6.5
- Specific gravity
- 3.57 to 3.76
- Refractive index
- 1.710 to 1.750
- Lustre
- Vitreous
- Colours
- Pink, Rose, Black veined
Composition
CaMn₄Si₅O₁₅. Made of Calcium, Manganese, Silicon, Oxygen, with trace Iron, Magnesium responsible for colour.
Origin
- RussiaUrals, historic
- AustraliaBroken Hill, gem crystals
- SwedenLångban
- Peru
- Brazil
- United StatesMassachusetts state gem
- Canada
Filled dots are primary sources
Rarity
Massive rhodonite is common; transparent red crystals from Broken Hill are rare gems.
- 1 Abundant
- 2 Common
- 3 Uncommon
- 4 Rare
- 5 Exceptional
Hardness
Rhodonite sits at 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. Glass and a knife blade are about as hard; it wears well with care.
Energy
Associations from crystal-healing tradition, recorded here as folklore. They are not medical claims.
Chakras
- Heart
- Root
Element
- Fire
Zodiac
- Taurus
Planets
- Venus
- Mars
Properties
- Forgiveness
- Emotional balance
- Compassion
- Recovery
Lore
The sarcophagus of Empress Maria Alexandrovna in St Petersburg was carved from a single seven-tonne block of Ural rhodonite over fifteen years. Russian nobles gave it to travellers, whence its old name orletz, eagle stone.
Modern practice pairs its pink and black: the heart with the ground beneath it.
- State gemMassachusetts, 1979.
- NameFrom rhodon, rose.