This is a stunning, large and colorful end-cut of banded, botryoidal Rhodochrosite from Japan. It is lapidary quality material, which is why so little has survived. It is a riveting, nicely polished piece that catches the eye and holds your view because of the banding and the alternating vibrant and subtle colors and complex textures. Raspberry-red and pastel pink layers alternate in turn on this gorgeous piece from Japan. The top of the large botryoid starts with a 6 to 7 mm layer of raspberry-red Rhodochrosite that shows a subtle, radial divergent structure with subtle variations in color internally. This transitions abruptly into a 1.2 to 1.4 cm thick pastel pink band that some internal banding within it highlighted by thin, 1 mm, whitish pink layers and there is some internal textural complexity to the central band. The top contact of this layer with the overlying darker pink layer has a beautiful billowing surface. The thick, vibrant, raspberry-pink layer in the center of the piece is about 2.5 cm wide and has acute top and bottom contacts with a complex internal texture of subtle banding near vertically oriented internal fractures that all add to the complexity. The base of the piece consists of faint, alternating layers of pale pink hues and off-white. The back of this stunning specimen shows it in its natural state with the botryoidal surfaces as well as the great colors and slightly muted textures since this side isn't polished. This probably originates from finds here in the early to mid 1900s as according to MINDAT : Largest manganese deposit in Japan. (1944 production: 72,000 tons @ 27% Mn, mainly from rhodochrosite.) Mine now closed. En echelon hydrothermal rhodochrosite veins in Tertiary volcanic sedimentary rocks. The largest vein had a strike of 900 meters, x 5m thick. Has produced many beautiful rhodochrosite specimens now widely distributed in collections. 1270 grams in mass, or 2-plus pounds!