Rhodonite
/ˈroʊ.də.naɪt/noun
A pink to rose-red manganese silicate mineral, often used as an ornamental stone.
Did you know?Rhodonite’s rosy color is produced primarily by manganese, the same element responsible for many of its black veining patterns when it oxidizes.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥόδον (rhódon)
“Rose; rose-colored thing”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥοδόεις (rhodóeis)
“Rose-colored or rosy”
18th Century
Scientific Latin
-ite
“A mineral-name suffix derived from Greek -ίτης, indicating a stone or material”
1819
German
Rhodonit
“Name given to the rose-colored manganese mineral”
19th Century
English
rhodonite
“A pink or rose-red manganese silicate mineral”
Modern English
English
rhodonite
“An ornamental mineral valued for its pink color and dark manganese-oxide veining”
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