Rhodonite is a rose pink manganese silicate that will often have dendritic black manganese distributed throughout the stone. Sometimes it is pink/gray rather than pink/black. It can be differentiated from rhodochrosite because that stone will usually have lacy white amidst the pink base color and it is not as hard as rhodonite.
The name for rhodonite comes from the Greekrhodonmeaning rose. Most rhodonite is coming at the present time from Russia, Australia, Brazil, Canada.and the United States.
Rhodonite has a strength of color and unique markings on its surface which make it ideal for jewelry and decorative purposes. Like other pink stones it is related to the hearts natural expansion of energy.