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Rhodochrosite
Despite its rather low hardness, this mineral
is used as ornamental material because of its pleasing color.
Appearance The massive material
is characterized b. bright pink color, generally in distinct
bands (as with ag, and malachite), which may be curved or
finely contorte with narrow pale pink or whitish veining.
Small slabs a. used for mosaics, boxes, pots, and figurines,
but the m eral is somewhat brittle. It is also made into necklace
bea or other types of jewelry and recently, quite large, alme
transparent crystals have yielded attractive, curved gem.
Distinctive features It has
a color similar to that of rh donite, but is distinguished
from the latter by its concr tionary structure and by the
tact that it is visibly attacked ; hydrochloric acid. It is
also much less hard.
Occurrence The ornamental material mainly
comes fre Argentina, the United States (Colorado and Montana),
N mibia, and the Soviet Union.
Value Somewhat low. Necklaces of transparent
piecE are worth more, although the gem's relative lack of
har ness can make it lose its polish easily.
Simulants and synthetics It is neither imitated
nor pr duced synthetically.
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