Gemstone of the Month: Rhodochrosite

From the Greek words ‘rhodos’ (rose) and ‘khros’ (color), Rhodochrosite is a uniquely identifiable pink gemstone with bandings of white, light pink, grey, or yellow. It is a manganese carbonate that forms in the fractures and cavities of metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, filling the veins and fractures. It builds up or down in layers and each layer can occur from a unique precipitation event (with different elements). These layers that form from different events produce the various colors and shades that give Rhodochrosite its banded appearance.

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Rhodochrosite is often mined with silver deposits and has been found in many locations including Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Romania, Russia, Japan, Gabon, and South Africa. It has a Mohs hardness of 3.5-4.

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Like other pink gemstones, Rhodochrosite is all about the heart chakra, love, and emotions. However, Rhodochrosite really specializes in emotional healing and is an excellent stone for those whose hearts have been wounded in love. Whether the emotional pain is from a past relationship, a childhood experience, shame, sexual abuse, or any other traumas, Rhodochrosite helps you to examine those past hurts, honor your pain, and forgive yourself and others. This brings resolution and closure, eliminates destructive patterns, shows you your lessons to be learned in love, builds back confidence, restores your sense of wholeness, and ultimately releases those emotional wounds.

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“The Stone of the Compassionate Heart”, Rhodochrosite also aids in understanding why people are the way they are and why they do what they do, leading to true forgiveness. It increases compassion for yourself too, helping you see the good and bad parts of you, accept your faults and imperfections, and turn those into your strengths.

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Emotional healing frees the blockages from your heart, allowing positive energy to flow and guiding your search for emotional happiness. It teaches you that loving someone also means learning to forgive them and helps you to realize that, although this experience may not have been positive, your love story will not always end sadly. This gives you the courage to take another chance at love and to trust another soul with your heart.

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If you are ready for some emotional healing, head over to Bead World for a dose of Rhodochrosite.

Happy Beading!!