Rhodochrosite
/ˌroʊdəˈkroʊsaɪt/noun
A pink to red manganese carbonate mineral, often used as a gemstone or ornamental stone.
Did you know?Rhodochrosite was named from Greek roots for “rose” and “color,” and its name preserves the same ancient root that gave English words like “rose” and “rhododendron.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥόδον (rhódon)
“rose”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χρῶμα (chrôma)
“color, complexion”
Late 18th Century
German/Scientific Latin
Rhodochrosit
“name coined for the mineral, from Greek roots meaning “rose-colored””
19th Century
English
rhodochrosite
“the mineral rhodochrosite, a pink manganese carbonate”
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