Rhodochrosite with Fluorite - circa early 1900s

Item Description

This is a massive specimen of pale pink opaque rhodochrosite, a historic piece from the glory days of Colorado silver mining. This specimen is a preserved portion of a "pocket," complete with a massive rhodochrosite matrix and a crystalline vug that formed as the crystals grew into the limited free space within cracks in the rock as the mineral-laden solution cooled millions of years ago. Some pockets within this specimen contain well-formed fluorite, quartz, and sphalerite, adding to its complexity and beauty. This is a neat historical piece, further distinguished by an old A.E. Foote label glued to the back, dating it to the early 1900s. Ex A.E. Foote, Jingnan (Tom) Zhang.