Rhodochrosite (classic material)

Item Description

The famed Uchucchacua Mine in Peru is one of the top localities for Rhodochrosite in South America. While there are many localities for Rhodo in Peru, the gemmy, fiery colored crystals from Uchucchacua stand out for their superior quality. This piece features a glowing pink-red colored, very sharp, rather gemmy, lustrous, scalenohedral crystal measuring 1.1 cm with a few smaller crystals, tucked into a vug of host rock matrix. The lower part of the Rhodo is cleaved, but the upper portion /termination is intact where it grew into the matrix. A lovely example of this classic material from a well-known collector.
From the collection of the recently deceased Alvaro Lucio, arguably the most well-known and accomplished mineral dealer and collector in Brazil. Alvaro graduated with a degree in civil engineering, mining and metallurgy from the Escola de Minas de Ouro Preto in 1949. He began his PhD in the United States and completed it at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. He worked as a professor of extractive metallurgy at UFMG, and also as a technical consultant for several companies in the sector. He was the author of several works, published in books and magazines around the world. He received several honors for his contribution to the development of metallurgy and the introduction of metallurgical physical chemistry in Brazil. His knowledge, solicitousness and enthusiasm will be greatly missed in the mineral world.