Properties
| Category | Carbonate minerals |
|---|---|
| Formula | MnCO3 |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
| Color | Pink, rose, rose-red, red, cherry-red, yellow, yellowish grey, grey, cinnamon-brown, white, may be banded; colourless to pale rose in transmitted light. |
| Crystal habit | Rhombohedral and scalenohedral crystals; also commonly bladed, columnar, stalactitic, botryoidal, granular or massive |
| Cleavage | On {1011} perfect; parting on {1012} |
| Fracture | Uneven, conchoidal |
| Tenacity | Brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 3.5–4 |
| Luster | Vitreous to pearly |
| Streak | White |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent to translucent |
| Specific gravity | 3.7 |
From the Wikipedia article
Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. In its pure form (rare), it is typically a rose-red colour, but it can also be shades of pink to pale brown. It streaks white, and its Mohs hardness varies between 3.5 and 4.5. Its specific gravity is between 3.45 and 3.6. The crystal system of rhodochrosite is trigonal, with a structure and cleavage in the carbonate rhombohedral system. The carbonate ions (CO2−3) are arranged in a triangular planar configuration, and the manganese ions (Mn2+) are surrounded by six oxygen ions in an octahedral arrangement. The MnO6 octahedra and CO3 triangles are linked together to form a three-dimensional structure. Crystal twinning is often present. It can be confused with the manganese silicate rhodonite, but is distinctly softer. Rhodochrosite is formed by the oxidation of manganese ore, and is found in South Africa, China, and the Americas. It is one of the national symbols of Argentina and the state of Colorado.
Source
Source record: crystal-compendium/rhodochrosite/minerals.json. Fetched from English Wikipedia by the operator 2 October 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodochrosite — revision id 1366687672. Text and properties from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.