Rhodochrosite

Rhodochrosite belongs to the carbonate group. It contains manganese and carbon. Its chemical formula is _MnCO₃ . Rhodochrosite has rhombohedral crystals (triangular cross-section) that are bright or pale pink, rarely light brown or gray, depending on the mixture with other chemical elements such as iron or calcium. Its density varies around 3.4 (1 for water) and its hardness is less than 4/10 on the Mohs scale (10 for diamond). The streak on porcelain is white. The name Rhodochrosite comes from two Greek words: rhodon (rose) and khroma (color).