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 specimen features several stalactites that have formed together in a cluster, or grouping - rather than being intergrown, they are arborescent, with some separation between stalactites. The middle two stalactites have had their tops sawn and polished to expose the beautiful tree-ring pattern within - cores of pink rhodochrosite and then subsequent layers of black manganese oxides and shiny iron pyrite were introduced before a final layer of rhodochrosite that formed the outer rind. It is in good condition, with no real damage worth mentioning. Custom mounting is available at checkout.
Dimensions: 2.55 x 1.6 x 0.7 in (6.4 x 4 x 1.8 cm)
