Rodocrosita

Rodocrosita is a mineral with formula MnCO₃, in the Carbonatos group. This specimen comes from Uchucchacua, Distrito de Oyón, Lima, Perú.

Description

Group of prismatic rhodochrosite crystals in a cavity, well defined and undamaged, with vitreous lustre. The largest reaches 1.5 cm and shows a fuchsia-pink colour with visible internal zoning. They grow on a matrix of manganiferous oxides, with an associated tetrahexahedral fluorite crystal.

History of this specimen

This piece came from Peru via Julio Martín and his father, who in the 1980s travelled there to buy material and distribute it in Spain. In 1984 they brought this rhodochrosite, which caught the eye of Emilio Ródenas and of Antonio Baraona Jr. Antonio Baraona Jr. wanted to buy it but could not afford it then, so Emilio kept it and catalogued it as number 56 in his collection. Emilio, concierge at the Hotel Cuzco in Madrid, collected with a strategic focus: he saw pieces as an investment and only bought specimens that were genuinely good or with a clear ROI. Years later he sold his collection to buy a flat in Madrid, which he later resold for a good sum. Before closing the deal he set this piece aside and told Antonio Baraona Jr. so he could get it.

About Rodocrosita

Rhodochrosite is a simple manganese carbonate, yet one of the most sought-after minerals in the world. It varies greatly from one deposit to another: colors, crystallization style, and overall character differ completely depending on its provenance. One of the most expensive minerals in the world (or the most expensive according to some sources) is a rhodochrosite known as the "Alma Queen," from the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado. Its financial trajectory is fascinating: after being extracted, it was sold in 1967 for $2,500; shortly thereafter, it passed to Peter Bancroft in a trade valued at $6,500. In the mid-1980s, it ended up at the Houston Museum of Natural Science as part of the Perkins Sams collection, and by 1990 its value was already estimated at $250,000. Some current valuations place it in the range of $35–40 million.

About the locality

Uchucchacua is a large Andean silver mine opened in 1975 that unexpectedly produced very good rhodochrosites for collectors. Classic material of the 1970s–90s, now increasingly scarce on the market.

Technical data

Catalogue No.: 0342
Composition: MnCO₃
Name: Rodocrosita
Group: Carbonatos
Category: Cavella
Associations: fluorita
Mine: Uchucchacua
District / Municipality: Distrito de Oyón
Province: Lima
Country: Perú
Size (cm): 8.5 x 6 x 5.5
Weight: 275.2 g
Ex-collection: Emilio Ródenas > Antonio Barahona
Etymology: From the Greek "rhodon" (ῥόδον), "rose", and "chros" (χρῶς), "colour", in direct reference to the mineral’s characteristic pink tone.
Quality: Top
Value trend: Al alza

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