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Rhodonite

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Broken Hill, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia
© Rob Lavinsky

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Formula:
MnSiO
 
3
System:TriclinicColour:Red, pink, brownish-red, ...
Lustre:Vitreous, PearlyHardness:5½ - 6½
Name:From Greek, rhodon, rose.


Often contains minor Ca.
Pyroxmangite of MnSiO3 composition is the high-pressure, low-temperature polymorph with respect to rhodonite of the same composition (Maresch & Mottana, 1976).

Classification of Rhodonite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:8/F.27-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:9.DK.05

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
K : Inosilicates with 5-periodic single chains
Dana 8th edition ID:65.4.1.1

65 : INOSILICATES Single-Width,Unbranched Chains,(W=1)
4 : Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1 with chains P=5
Hey's CIM Ref.:14.17.1

14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
17 : Silicates of Mn
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Type Occurrence of Rhodonite

Type Locality:Kaiser Franz Mine (Kuxloch Mine; König Wilhelm Mine), Schävenholz (Schebenholz; Schäbenholz), Elbingerode, Wernigerode, Harz Mts, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Year of Discovery:1819

Occurrences of Rhodonite

Geological Setting:Manganese deposits formed by hydrothermal, contact or regional metamorphic, and sedimentary processes.

Physical Properties of Rhodonite

Lustre:Vitreous, Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Comment:Somewhat pearly on cleavage
Colour:Red, pink, brownish-red, gray.
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):5½ - 6½
Cleavage:Perfect
Perfect on {110} & {110}
Good on {001}
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density (measured):3.57 - 3.76 g/cm3
Density (calculated):3.726 g/cm3

Crystallography of Rhodonite

Crystal System:Triclinic
Class (H-M):1 - Pinacoidal
Cell Parameters:a = 9.758Å, b = 10.499Å, c = 12.205Å
α = 108.58°, β = 102.92°, γ = 82.52°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.929 : 1 : 1.162
Unit Cell Volume:V 1,152.86 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:20
Morphology:Crystals rough, typically tabular
Twinning:Lamellar with {010} as composition plane.
Crystal Atlas:
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Rhodonite no.30 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Rhodonite no.49 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Rhodonite

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.711 - 1.738 nβ = 1.714 - 1.741 nγ = 1.724 - 1.751
2V:Measured: 58° to 73°, Calculated: 58°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.013

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:High
Dispersion:r < v
Pleochroism:Weak
Comments:X= yellowish red
Y= pinkish red
Z= pale yellowish red

Chemical Properties of Rhodonite

Formula:
MnSiO
 
3
Essential elements:Mn, O, Si
All elements listed in formula:Mn, O, Si
Common Impurities:Al,Ca,Fe,Zn

Relationship of Rhodonite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
9.DK.05Babingtonite
Ca
 
2
(Fe,Mn)FeSi
 
5
O
 
14
(OH)
9.DK.05Lithiomarsturite
LiCa
 
2
Mn
 
2
Si
 
5
O
 
14
(OH)
9.DK.05Manganbabingtonite
Ca
 
2
(Mn,Fe)FeSi
 
5
O
 
14
(OH)
9.DK.05Marsturite
NaCaMn
 
3
Si
 
5
O
 
14
(OH)
9.DK.05Nambulite
(Li,Na)Mn
 
4
Si
 
5
O
 
14
(OH)
9.DK.05Natronambulite
(Na,Li)(Mn,Ca)
 
4
Si
 
5
O
 
14
OH
9.DK.05Scandiobabingtonite
Ca
 
2
(Fe
2+
 
,Mn)ScSi
 
5
O
 
14
(OH)
9.DK.05Fowlerite
9.DK.10Santaclaraite
CaMn
 
4
[Si
 
5
O
 
14
OH](OH)·H
 
2
O
9.DK.15Saneroite
Na
 
2
(Mn,Mn)
 
10
Si
 
11
VO
 
34
(OH)
 
4
9.DK.20Hellandite-(Y)
(Ca,Y)
 
6
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)Si
 
4
B
 
4
O
 
20
(OH)
 
4
9.DK.20Tadzhikite-(Ce)
(Ca,Ce)
 
4
(Ce,Y)
 
2
(Ti
4+
 
,Fe
3+
 
,Al)[B
 
4
Si
 
4
O
 
22
](OH)
 
2
9.DK.20Mottanaite-(Ce)
Ca
 
4
(CeCa)AlBe
 
2
(Si
 
4
B
 
4
O
 
22
)O
 
2
9.DK.20Ciprianiite
Ca
 
4
[(Th,U)(REE)]Al[]
 
2
(Si
 
4
B
 
4
O
 
22
)(OH,F)
 
2
9.DK.20Hellandite-(Ce)
(Ca,Ce)
 
6
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)Si
 
4
B
 
4
O
 
20
(OH)
 
4
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
14.17.2Tephroite
Mn
2+
2
[SiO
 
4
]
14.17.3Braunite
Mn
2+
 
Mn
3+
6
[O
 
8
|SiO
 
4
]
14.17.4Alleghanyite
Mn
2+
5
[(OH)
 
2
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
]
14.17.5Ribbeite
(Mn
2+
 
,Mg)
 
5
[(OH)
 
2
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
]
14.17.6Leucophoenicite
Mn
2+
7
[(OH)
 
2
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
3
]
14.17.7Jerrygibbsite
Mn
2+
9
[(OH)
 
2
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
4
]
14.17.8Bementite
Mn
 
5
Si
 
4
O
 
10
(OH)
 
6
14.17.9Parsettensite
K
 
1.2
Mn
 
8
(Si,Al)
 
12
O
 
26
(OH)
 
10
14.17.10Yofortierite
Mn
 
5
Si
 
8
O
 
20
(OH)
 
2
·8-9H
 
2
O

Other Names for Rhodonite

Synonyms:
Cummingtonite (of Rammelsberg)HermanniteHydropiteKapnikite (of Huot)Kieselmangan
Mangan-AmphiboleManganolite PaisbergitePajsbergitePink MarbleRhodoarsenian
Rother Braunstein
Other Languages:
Dutch:Rhodoniet
Finnish:Rodoniitti
French:Rhodonite
German:Rhodonit
Hermannit
Hydropit
Mangankiesel
Pajsbergit
Italian:Rhodonite
Japanese:ばら輝石
バラ輝石
Lithuanian:Rodonitas
Polish:Rodonit
Portuguese:Rodonita
Russian:Родонит
Slovak:Rodonit
Spanish:Rodonita
Hermannita
Hydropita
Pajsbergita
Rhodonita
Ukrainian:Родоніт
Varieties:
FowleriteHsihutsuniteKeatingineOrlets

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Rhodonite

Reference List:Acta Crystallographica:: 12: 182-187.

Zeitschrift für Kristallographie: 119: 98-116.

H. Momoi (1964) Mineralogical study of rhodonites in Japan... Memoirs of the Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Series D, Geology, 15, #1, 39-63 (in english).

Ohashi, Y. and Finger, L.W. (1975) Pyroxenoids. A comparison of refined structures of rhodonite and pyroxmangite. Carnegie Institution Washington Year Book: 74: 564-569.

Maresch, W.V. and Mottana, A. (1976) The pyroxmangite-rhodonite transformation for the MnSiO3 composition. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology: 55: 69-79.

Narita, H., Koto, K., and Morimoto, N. (1977) The crystal structures of MnSiO3 polymorphs (rhodonite- and pyroxmangite-type). Mineralogical Journal of Sapporo: 8: 329-342.

American Mineralogist (1988): 73: 798-808.

Robie, R.A., Huebner, J.S., and Hemingway, B.S. (1995) Heat capacities and thermodynamic properties of braunite (Mn7SiO12) and rhodonite (MnSiO3). American Mineralogist: 80: 560-575.

Deer, W.A., Howie, R.A. and Zussman, J. (1997): Vol. 2A: 586-599.

Cook, R.B. (2005) "Connoisseur's Choice: Rhodonite." Rocks & Minerals 80: 264-269.

Internet Links for Rhodonite

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    Localities for Rhodonite

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