How to clean it
Warm soapy water and a soft cloth.
Rose pink with black manganese veining
Rhodonite
Properties
Composition
Manganese inosilicate (MnSiO₃)
Hardness (Mohs)
5.5–6.5
Crystal system
Triclinic
Colour
Rose pink with black manganese veining
Mined in
Russia (Ural), Australia, Brazil, Sweden, Madagascar
Worth knowing
The black veins are manganese oxide formed as the stone weathered — the contrast is decay, structurally speaking, and it is the reason the stone is prized.
History
Mined in the Urals from the 1790s and used for large decorative pieces in Saint Petersburg.
Practical
Caring for Rhodonite
How to tell it is real
Rhodochrosite is the frequent confusion, not a fake. Rhodonite carries black manganese veining; rhodochrosite shows white banding instead.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Softer than household dust. Better in earrings or a pendant than in a ring, where it takes constant knocks.
Traditional associations
Rhodonite is traditionally associated with repair after conflict and forgiving without forgetting. In chakra systems it is placed at the Heart, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Earth.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Rhodonite made of?
Manganese inosilicate (MnSiO₃), crystallising in the triclinic system.
Where does Rhodonite come from?
Russia (Ural), Australia, Brazil, Sweden, Madagascar.
How do I clean Rhodonite?
Warm soapy water and a soft cloth.
How can I tell if Rhodonite is real?
Rhodochrosite is the frequent confusion, not a fake. Rhodonite carries black manganese veining; rhodochrosite shows white banding instead.
Can I wear it every day?
At 5.5–6.5 on the Mohs scale, not in a ring. Keep it to pieces that take fewer knocks.