Rhodonite & Galena from Broken Hill | Aussie Mineral Hub
Australian Minerals, Broken Hill, New South Wales

Rhodonite & Galena

Rhodonite & Galena from Broken Hill NSW

Specimen Details

A great miniature example of a Broken Hill NSW Rhodonite crystal in association with many smaller crystals in shiny Silver bearing Galena. These are found in the sulphide zone of the Broken Hill silver-lead mines.

It is found as either a crystal with the characteristic rounded edges of Rhodonite, or as isolated fragments disseminated through the ore; it generally shows evidence of corrosion by the metalliferous solutions, and various stages of replacement by Galena and Blende may be traced.

Due to the Galena having a hardness of 2.5-3, this specimen has to be held with care as the Galena could easily shatter. This specimen has a nicely terminated crystal on the underside which is not seen in the above 360° crystal photo. More photos will be added soon.

I acquired this specimen from Peter Beckwith at Crystal Habit (now Kristallen) at the September 2016 Central Coast Crystal Festival.

Rhodonite Info

Chemical Formula: MnSiO3

Collection ID #: JG0039

Colour: Deep red translucent crystals

Hardness: 5.5 – 6

Acquisition Date: 4th September 2016

Crystal System: Triclinic

Lustre: Vitreous

Dimensions: 46mm x 25mm x 26mm

Weight: 41g

Location: Broken Hill, NSW Australia

Rarity of Mineral

Common

Did you know!?
Bustamite is often regarded as a calcium-rich variety of Rhodonite, but it is scientifically classified as an individual separate mineral.