Rhodonite with Franklinite

specimen number:
2262166

location:
Franklin, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA

description:

Gorgeous example for this New Jersey classic with lustrous blocky reddish pink crystals of rhodonite measuring to 2.2 cm in size on matrix with black crystals of franklinite. This is in really good condition for one of these. The color is excellent. The specimen comes with a previous label from dealer Larry Conklin.

Franklin, New Jersey, is internationally famous as the "Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World," centered on a unique and massive zinc-manganese-iron deposit. Geologically, the ore body consists of a complexly folded, stratiform lens hosted within Precambrian Franklin Marble, where high-grade metamorphism created an incredible diversity of over 350 mineral species. While the site is most famous for franklinite, willemite, and zincite, it also produced exceptional specimens of rhodonite, which occurs there as high-quality, deep pink to cherry-red crystals and massive granular aggregates often associated with willemite and calcite. Historically, mining and quarrying at the Franklin Mine began in the early 1800s, though the complexities of the ore hindered large-scale production until the mid-19th century. The New Jersey Zinc Company consolidated operations and oversaw the mine's most productive era until its eventual exhaustion and closure in 1954. Today, the site is preserved through the Franklin Mineral Museum and the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, remaining a premier destination for researchers and mineral collectors through 2026.

Lawrence Conklin was a world-renowned mineral dealer based in New York City, widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and sophisticated figures in the history of the mineral trade. Operating from his office on 5th Avenue and later from his home in Connecticut, Conklin specialized in "antique" minerals and specimens with significant historical provenance. He was a meticulous researcher and an elegant writer, often publishing articles that corrected historical errors in mineralogical literature. His career spanned over five decades, during which he handled some of the finest known specimens from classic European and American localities, setting a high standard for aesthetic quality and documentation in the field.

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