Rhodochrosite, in its purest form, a very rare thing, is a bright rose red, but impurities in the stone give it various lovely shades of pink. It may also be yellow to yellowish gray, and even cinnamon brown. Some stones are banded with layers of different shades and colors. Rhodochrosite tends to be a softer gemstone, with a Mohs hardness of 3.5-4. Remind your customers to treat it with care for many, many years of beauty.
An interesting bit of information: The Incan people believed that rhodochrosite was the blood of their dead rulers, thus the gemstone became known to them as Rosa del Inca, or Inca rose.
