Rhodonite
Single chain manganese inosilicate (MnSiO<sub>3</sub>)
title: "Rhodonite" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["gemstones", "manganese(ii)-minerals", "iron(ii)-minerals", "magnesium-minerals", "calcium-minerals", "pyroxene-group", "triclinic-minerals", "minerals-in-space-group-2"] description: "Single chain manganese inosilicate (MnSiO3)" topic_path: "general/gemstones" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodonite" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Single chain manganese inosilicate (MnSiO3) ::
::data[format=table title="infobox mineral"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Rhodonite |
| category | Inosilicate minerals (single chain) |
| group | Pyroxene group |
| image | 8224M-rhodonite3.jpg |
| boxbgcolor | pink |
| boxtextcolor | black |
| caption | Rhodonite from San Martín Mine, Chiurucu, Huallanca District, Bolognesi Province, Ancash, Peru |
| Specimen size: 53 × | |
| formula | (Mn2+, Fe2+, Mg, Ca)SiO3 |
| IMAsymbol | Rdn |
| strunz | 9.DK.05 |
| dana | 65.04.01.01 |
| system | Triclinic |
| class | Pinacoidal () |
| (same H–M symbol) | |
| symmetry | P |
| unit cell | , , ; , , ; |
| color | Pink, rose-pink to brownish red, red, gray and yellow |
| habit | Tabular crystals, massive, granular |
| twinning | Lamellar, composition plane {010} |
| cleavage | Perfect on {110} and {10}, (110) ^ (10) = 92.5°; good on {001} |
| fracture | Conchoidal to uneven |
| mohs | 5.5–6.5 |
| luster | Vitreous to pearly |
| streak | White |
| diaphaneity | Transparent to translucent |
| gravity | 3.57–3.76 |
| opticalprop | Biaxial (+) |
| refractive | , , |
| birefringence | δ = 0.013 |
| pleochroism | Weak |
| 2V | 58° to 73° (measured), 58° (calculated) |
| alteration | Exterior commonly black from manganese oxides |
| references | |
| :: |
| name = Rhodonite | category = Inosilicate minerals (single chain) | group = Pyroxene group | image = 8224M-rhodonite3.jpg | boxbgcolor = pink | boxtextcolor = black | caption = Rhodonite from San Martín Mine, Chiurucu, Huallanca District, Bolognesi Province, Ancash, Peru Specimen size: 53 × | formula = (Mn2+, Fe2+, Mg, Ca)SiO3 | IMAsymbol = Rdn | molweight = | strunz = 9.DK.05 | dana = 65.04.01.01 | system = Triclinic | class = Pinacoidal () (same H–M symbol) | symmetry = P | unit cell = , , ; , , ; | color = Pink, rose-pink to brownish red, red, gray and yellow | colour = | habit = Tabular crystals, massive, granular | twinning = Lamellar, composition plane {010} | cleavage = Perfect on {110} and {10}, (110) ^ (10) = 92.5°; good on {001} | fracture = Conchoidal to uneven | tenacity = | mohs = 5.5–6.5 | luster = Vitreous to pearly | streak = White | diaphaneity = Transparent to translucent | gravity = 3.57–3.76 | density = | polish = | opticalprop = Biaxial (+) | refractive = , , | birefringence = δ = 0.013 | pleochroism = Weak | 2V = 58° to 73° (measured), 58° (calculated) | dispersion = | extinction = | length fast/slow = | fluorescence= | absorption = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | other = | alteration = Exterior commonly black from manganese oxides | references =
Rhodonite is a manganese inosilicate, with the formula (Mn, Fe, Mg, Ca)SiO3, and member of the pyroxenoid group of minerals, crystallizing in the triclinic system. It commonly occurs as cleavable to compact masses with a rose-red color (its name comes ), often tending to brown due to surface oxidation. The rose-red hue is caused by the manganese cation (Mn).
Rhodonite crystals often have a thick tabular habit, but are rare. It has a perfect, prismatic cleavage, almost at right angles. The hardness is 5.5–6.5, and the specific gravity is 3.4–3.7; luster is vitreous, being less frequently pearly on cleavage surfaces. The manganese is often partly replaced by iron, magnesium, calcium, and sometimes zinc, which may sometimes be present in considerable amounts; a greyish-brown variety containing as much as 20% of calcium oxide is called bustamite; fowlerite is a zinciferous variety containing 7% of zinc oxide. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/rhodonite09.jpg" caption="Humboldt County]], [[Nevada]]."] ::
The inosilicate (chain silicate) structure of rhodonite has a repeat unit of five silica tetrahedra. The rare polymorph pyroxmangite, formed at different conditions of pressure and temperature, has the same chemical composition but a repeat unit of seven tetrahedra.
Rhodonite has also been worked as an ornamental stone. In the iron and manganese mines at Pajsberg near Filipstad and Långban in Värmland, Sweden, small brilliant and translucent crystals (pajsbergite) and cleavage masses occur. Fowlerite occurs as large, rough crystals, somewhat resembling pink feldspar, with franklinite and zinc ores in granular limestone at Franklin Furnace in New Jersey.
Rhodonite is the official gemstone of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
References
References
- Warr, L. N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". [[Mineralogical Magazine]].
- ''[http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/rhodonite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]''.
- [http://www.mindat.org/min-3407.html Rhodonite], Mindat.org.
- [http://webmineral.com/data/Rhodonite.shtml Rhodonite], Webmineral data.
- "Minerals Colored by Metal Ions".
- [http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/2-15.htm General Laws of Massachusetts, Chapter 2, Section 15] {{Webarchive. link. (2008-11-23 .)
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