Rhodonite (classic material)

Item Description

Broken Hill is undoubtedly one of the great mineral localities in history. Not only was it responsible for early prosperity in the Australia mining industry, but a good number of the minerals found at this locality are iconic classics, unique in their appearance, quality and associations. Some of most beloved and fine quality specimens from Broken Hill are the superb Rhodonites, the best of which are the finest examples of the species ever found. Most Rhodonite crystals from around the world are typically opaque and pink, but the Broken Hill specimens are GEMMY and fiery in color. Euhedral, gemmy crystals are not easy to find these days on the market, and they are certainly sought after by collectors. This specimen features a fairly thick, somewhat rounded, good quality, prismatic crystal of Rhodonite with classic fiery gemmy orange color when backlit sitting atop typical grey-black Galena. The crystal measures 1.1 cm. Keep in mind that the majority of these specimens were mined before 1950, and some date back as far as 1900, and undamaged matrix pieces like this are not easy to find. From the collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman. Dave is now retired from mining, but was formerly the foreman and primary person in charge of recovering specimens at the famous Sweet Home Mine near Alma, Colorado during the late 1970s, and the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. See Dave's photo mining at the Sweet Home on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".​