Rhodochrosite with Quartz on Sphalerite

Dozens of soft pink colored “rosettes” comprising compressed rhombohedra or “discs” of Rhodochrosite are intergrown with beautiful white Quartz crystals and gently sprinkled atop contrasting black Sphalerite matrix to make this small cabinet display specimen a great representation of the material from this famous locality.

The Rhodochrosites from this mine are not the typical blocky rhombic habit like those seen from a lot of other ore bodies in Colorado, and these particular pieces are some of my favorite Rhodochrosite specimens from Colorado. For reference, there is underlying Pyrite below the Sphalerite, but it cannot be seen from the display side. The Sphalerite is very well-crystallized, and I would say the piece is equally a Sphalerite specimen as it is a Rhodochrosite specimen. A beautiful piece from the world-famous Eagle Mine (more properly the New Jersey Zinc Eagle Mine).

This mine is long defunct and will never produce these specimens again. They are highly prized among Colorado collectors for their unique form and obvious beauty. You can’t get these pieces anymore, they’re just not available and only a few truly fine specimens of this material exist.

The Rhodochrosite from this mine ranges in its chemistry from the far manganese end to an iron / manganese mix, all the way to tan / brown Siderite at the other end of the series. Good crystallized Rhodochrosites from this locality are among the most distinctive from Colorado and highly sought after by collectors. The Eagle Mine was the center of lead and zinc mining in Colorado for a time and produced some of the state’s most memorable mineral specimens, along with the neighboring Groundhog Mine that produced the finest Wire Gold specimens in the world extant!

Specimen# CO712B79