A beautiful rhodochrosite specimen, with a large, terminated, and very gemmy rhodochrosite crystal sitting at the center of a manganese oxide coated matrix.

This crystal is considerably larger than the average from this mine, giving it a depth of color that contrasts nicely against the black matrix.

 In my opinion, these Peruvian specimens are an exceptional value for rhodochrosite.  Few other mines have produced such deeply colored gemmy crystals, and the prices have tended to increase greatly in the years following the finds (just think of the pieces from Hotazel).