History
Rhodonite was discovered in 1819 in the Kaizer Franz Mine in Germany. It was used in Russia during the 19th century to make service platters and gifts for royal weddings.
Color Variations
Although primarily pink with black streaks, Rhodonite can be a deep ruby red, brownish-red or even yellow or orange. The quantity of inclusions can also vary greatly from almost none to more than 75 percent.
Hardness
The degree to which a gemstone can be scratched is its hardness. The most easily scratched stone, talc, is rated 1 and diamonds, the hardest to scratch, are rated 10. Rhodonite stones typically have a 5.5 to 6.5 hardness, the same as garnets and opals.
Location
Rhodonite has been found on all the continents of the world except for Antarctica. The best ones are said to come from the Ural Mountains of Russia, Sweden, Italy, Brazil, Peru, Romania and New South Wales, Australia. In the United States, good specimens can be found in New Jersey, North Carolina and Montana.