A beautiful rhodochrosite from the Capillitas mining district, in the Catamarca Province of Argentina. This material is well-known amongst collectors, as this is the only locality in the world that produces these banded stalactites and concretions of layered rhodochrosite. It is known colloquially as "Inca Rose", although there is no evidence to support that the deposit was exploited so long ago. It first appears in the literature in 1873, though natives likely mined the placer deposits for gold in pre-Colombian times. It is stunning when cut and polished, often showing beautiful patterns and layered growth - much like the rings on the cross section of a tree.
This particular piece is a nodule of vibrant, red-pink rhodochrosite with minor bands of off-white rhodo on the edges. The piece has been sawn and the front face polished to reveal a stunning pattern. The backside shows a white outer rind. I would consider this a collectors piece, as it is rather thin and would be of little interest to a lapidary. There is no significant damage worth mentioning, and custom mounting is available at checkout.
Dimensions: 1.94 x 1.41 x 0.45 in (4.9 x 3.6 x 1.1 cm)
