Rhodochrosite

specimen number:
2102216

location:
Sweet Home Mine, Park Co., Colorado, USA

description:

Attractive pinkish red semi lustrous slightly translucent rhombohedral crystals of rhodochrosite measuring to 3.0 cm in size across the top of matrix. In good condition with minimal micro-damage present.

The Sweet Home Mine, located near Alma in Park County, Colorado, is world-famous for producing the finest rhodochrosite specimens ever discovered. Geologically, the mine is situated within the Alma District and exploits a series of hydrothermal veins that formed during the Tertiary Period within a Precambrian granitic and metamorphic basement. These veins were created as metal-rich fluids from the nearby Mount Bross and Mount Lincoln igneous complexes filled fractures, depositing the iconic cherry-red rhodochrosite alongside quartz, fluorite, tetrahedrite, and various sulfide minerals. Historically, the mine was first opened in 1873 as a silver mine, but it proved to be a poor silver producer and was operated sporadically through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its true significance was realized in the 1990s when a dedicated specimen-mining project led by Bryan Lees and Collector's Edge rediscovered major pockets, most notably the Good Luck Pocket in 1992. Commercial specimen mining continued with great success until the mine was officially closed and the portal sealed in 2004. Today, the Sweet Home Mine is a legendary locality, with its most famous find, the Alma King, serving as the official state mineral of Colorado.

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