The name Rhodonite comes from the ancient Greek word “ῥόδον” (rhódon) which means Rose. In 1819, German naturalist Christoph Friedrich Jasche gave it the name "Rhodonite"

It was first discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in 1790. The locals there called it Orletz, Russian for “eagle stone”, as small Rhodonite pieces were found inside eagle nests. It created a local tradition of putting Rhodonite in babies’ cribs, maybe thought to enable their children to be strong and free like the eagles.

The black inclusions in Rhodonite are manganese oxide which create unique patterns in the stone. The inclusions turn black when mined and the manganese is exposed to oxygen.

It has been aligned to Taurus and the Earth element. Metaphysically it is believed to represent the Heart and Root chakras and to aid love, compassion and emotional balance.

I've incorporated Rhodonite into the Earth Element collection where its pink hue is enhanced by the greens of Peridot, Malachite and Serpentine.