Rhodochrosite stalactites

Item Description

This item is part of a special benefit auction for the Rice Museum of Rocks & Minerals (ricenorthwestmuseum.org). Items are either deaccessions from the museum's collection or were donated by generous supporters listed below.

Auction open April 1, 2021 through April 17, 2021.

Billing for this auction will occur on Monday, April 19, for payment using PayPal or credit card. Shipping will be billed at cost, or please contact brandy@mineralauctions.com if you'd like to plan on picking up items at future shows or during a stop through Dallas.

This specimen consists of three moderately intertwined stalactites of Rhodochrosite from the famous and unique occurrence in Argentina. It's a really cool piece in that it looks like one of the stalactites took a U-turn! Another interesting aspect is that the entire surface of the piece is just covered in exposed edges of actual bladed Rhodochrosite crystals averaging a centimeter across - which is very unusual for these! So, in reality, this is probably three stalactites in which the large, platy, Rhodochrosite crystals obscure the terminal ends of two of the stalactites, therefore making it look like it grew back on itself...regardless it's an attractive and unusual piece for Capillitas. In addition, the sawn and polished ends reveal the internal concentric banding beautifully, showing alternating deep, rich pink layers with lighter pink layers. This was a traditional display style done at the time of the peak production here, in the 1980s and early 1990s. These circles illustrate the gradual deposition of the Rhodochrosite over the time as they formed. 345 grams - quite massive, and a remarkable specimen-quality specimen from a place mostly known for lapidary material.