Rhodonite

This outstanding blood-red rhodonite (manganese silicate) crystal group with sharp, parallel bladed crystals is the finest rhodonite crystal group of its kind in the world. Its jagged outline of crystal terminations is reminiscent of the ‘sails’ on the Sydney Opera House roof. At Broken Hill the rhodonite can occur in a red transparent (or gemmy) form, which can occasionally be faceted as a rare collector’s gem.

Due to its exceptional quality, it has featured in several books and mineral magazine articles and in the ‘Mineral Collections in Australia’ Supplement of the Mineralogical Record, published in 2020, where it appeared on the front cover.

It was purchased by Albert Chapman from a miner at Broken Hill about 1965.

1700 ft level, Zinc Corporation Mine, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. 3.5 x 1.8 x 0.9 cm. D.49980. Albert Chapman Collection.