Rhodochrosite with Fluorite

specimen number:
2242057

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

description:
An attractive combination piece, the specimen consists of lustrous slightly translucent pinkish red rhombohedral crystals of rhodochrosite measuring to 1.5 cm in size on a matrix that is mostly covered with gemmy small bluish purple fluorite crystals. In good condition.

The Sweet Home Mine, located near Alma in Park County, Colorado, is situated high on Mount Bross within the Mosquito Range. Geologically, it is a hydrothermal vein deposit hosted in Precambrian granite, where mineralization occurred during the Tertiary period as part of the Colorado Mineral Belt activity. While originally opened as a silver mine, it became world-famous for its incredible rhodochrosite crystals, which occur as rhombohedrons with a vivid cherry-red color, often found in association with quartz, fluorite, and tetrahedrite. Historically, the mine was first located in 1873 and operated sporadically for silver throughout the late 19th century. However, its most significant era began in 1991 when the Sweet Home Rhodo partnership, led by Bryan Lees, reopened the site specifically for specimen mining. This modern phase of operation lasted until 2004, producing many of the finest rhodochrosite specimens ever found, including the famous "Alma King."

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