0.99 ct. Colorado Rhodochrosite
Color: Medium Dark Slightly Orangish-Pink
Clarity: Eye Clean
Origin: Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Colorado
Cut: Cushion Brilliant
Treatments: None
Measurements: 7 x 4.9 mm
Despite the very attractive and similarly colored gems that have been mined in China, the gem world still widely prefers gem Rhodochrosite from the Sweet Home Mine as its favorite. Given two nearly identical stones, the Sweet Home stone will almost certainly sell first even at a higher price; the consequence no doubt of a locale and find so famed that it is forever linked with the entire species. This superb stone is a near perfect example of a Colorado gem - completely eye clean, great proportions and the cut is exceptionally well done. Clarity is always important in these as even the slightest of inclusions can interrupt the brilliance - not a worry here. Oh yes, and the color is, of course, phenomenal - that intense 'watermelon' color that nearly unique in the gem world.