Rhodochrosite Mineral Data
General Rhodochrosite Information
Chemical Formula:
MnCO3
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 114.95 gm
Manganese 47.79 % Mn 61.71 % MnO
Carbon 10.45 % C 38.29 % CO2
Oxygen 41.76 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
Mn2+ (CO3 )
Environment:
Commonly forms during oxidation of Mn-bearing ores in a carbonate environment.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1800
Locality:
Cavnic (Kapnik), Maramures, Romania Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
From the Greek rhodon -"rose" and chroma - "color."
Name Pronunciation:
Rhodochrosite + Pronunciation
Synonym:
Dialogite
ICSD 100677
Manganese spar
PDF 44-1472
Parakutnohorite - intermediate composition between calcite and rhodochrosite
Rhodochrosite Image
Images:
Images:
Rhodochrosite
Comments: Cherry red rhodochrosite with quartz, tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite and fluorite matrix.
Location: Rivas Pocket, Fluorite Raise, Sweet Home mine, Alma, Colorado, USA.
Scale: 8 x 8cm..
© Fabre Minerals
Rhodochrosite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:c = 1:3.2803
Cell Dimensions:
a = 4.777, c = 15.67, Z = 6; V = 309.68 Den(Calc)= 3.70
Crystal System:
Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral H-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: R 3 c
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 2.84(1), 1.763(0.35), 3.66(0.35),
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Physical Properties of Rhodochrosite
Cleavage:
{1011} Perfect, {1011} Perfect, {1011} Perfect
Color:
Pinkish red, Red, Rose red, Yellowish gray, Brown.
Density:
3.69
Diaphaneity:
Translucent to subtranslucent
Fracture:
Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.
Habit:
Botryoidal - "Grape-like" rounded forms (e.g.. malachite).
Habit:
Columnar - Forms columns
Habit:
Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.
Hardness:
3 - Calcite
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Rhodochrosite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = 0.055 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = 0.057 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.1908,KPDmeas = 0.1913,KC = 0.2024 Ncalc = 1.75
Optical Data:
Uniaxial (-), e=1.596-1.598, w=1.814-1.816, bire=0.2180.
Calculated Properties of Rhodochrosite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.53 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Rhodochrosite =3.69 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.0013498377 Boson Index = 0.9986501623
Photoelectric:
PERhodochrosite = 12.46 barns/electronU=PERhodochrosite x r Electron Density= 44.00 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Rhodochrosite is Not Radioactive
Rhodochrosite Classification
Dana Class:
14.01.01.04 (14) Anhydrous Carbonates
(14.01) with Simple Formula A+ CO3
(14.01.01) Calcite Group (Trigonal: R-3c)
14.01.01.01 Calcite CaCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
14.01.01.02 Magnesite MgCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
14.01.01.03 Siderite FeCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
14.01.01.04 Rhodochrosite MnCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
14.01.01.05 Sphaerocobaltite CoCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
14.01.01.06 Smithsonite ZnCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
14.01.01.07 Otavite CdCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
14.01.01.08 Gaspeite (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
Strunz Class:
05.AB.05 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)
05.A - Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O
05.AB -Alkali-earth (and other M2+) carbonates
05.AB.05 Calcite CaCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
05.AB.05 Gaspeite (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
05.AB.05 Magnesite MgCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
05.AB.05 Rhodochrosite MnCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
05.AB.05 Otavite CdCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
05.AB.05 Sphaerocobaltite CoCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
05.AB.05 Siderite FeCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
05.AB.05 Smithsonite ZnCO3 R 3 c 3 2/m
Other Rhodochrosite Information
References:
NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Mason68)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Rhodochrosite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - CalTech Mineral Spectroscopy
7 - EUROmin Project
8 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
9 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
10 - Franklin Minerals(Palache)
11 - GeoScienceWorld
12 - Google Images
13 - Google Scholar
14 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
15 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
16 - HyperPhysics
17 - MinDAT
18 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
19 - Mineral of the Month
20 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
21 - Online Mineral Museum
22 - Philatelic Mineralogy
23 - QUT Mineral Atlas
24 - Ruff.Info
25 - Tradeshop.com - The Rainbow of Gems
26 - University of Colorado - Mineral Structure Data
27 - WWW-MINCRYST
28 - YupRocks
29 - theimage
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Rhodochrosite
MnCO3
Dana No: 14.01.01.04 Strunz No: 05.AB.05
Locality:
Notes:
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