Rhodizite Gemstone: Properties, Meanings, Value & More

Rhodizite is a translucent to transparent, often white or yellow stone. It’s very similar to the stone londonite.

There are many impressive traits for rhodizite as a gemstone — high luster, toughness, and hardness — but not only is it quite rare as a mineral, facetable crystals are even rarer. As such, rhodizite is better known as a collector’s gemstone.

Today, we’ll be sharing all of the facts about rhodizite you need to know, from its properties and history to its prices and uses.

About Rhodizite Stone

Rhodizite is a rare semi-precious gemstone sometimes spelled “rhodicite.” However, it’s easy to confuse rhodizite with:

• Rhodesite: Orthorhombic, soft, and white phyllosilicate also containing potassium, sodium, calcium, hydrogen, and oxygen

• Rhodonite: Triclinic manganese silicate usually found with pink to rose-red coloring and black veining

Astrologically, rhodizite is a zodiac stone for all signs. It vibrates with the number 6 in numerology.

In terms of industrial uses, rhodizite is one of the few minerals that contain cesium (also spelled caesium). Other cesium minerals include some rare beryl varieties, sylvite, carnallite, avogadrite, pezzottaite, londonite, and pollucite. However, the only significant mineral ore of cesium is pollucite.

Pictured above: Sulfur-yellow specimen of londonite, the cesium-rich analogue of rhodizite, on a matrix | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Rhodizite Specifications & Characteristics

The mineral rhodozite is a potassium cesium beryllium aluminum borate. The formula for rhodozite can be written as (K,Cs)Al4Be4(B,Be)12O28 or KBe4Al4(B11Be)O28, the latter being the official International Mineralogical Association (IMA) formula. Common impurities include rubidium and sodium.

Londonite is the cesium analogue and forms a series with rhodizite. The two are extremely similar, requiring chemical analysis to distinguish.

Specimens that are cesium-dominant are londonite and those that are potassium-dominant are rhodizite. Some specimens contain sections of both minerals, and ones that haven’t been chemically analyzed are often labeled “rhodizite-londonite.”

Rhodizite crystals can be dodecahedral or tetrahedral. It also occurs in massive habits. Twinning may happen on {111} but it’s uncommon.

Additionally, rhodizite is strongly pyroelectric and piezoelectric, meaning it becomes electrically charged with heat or mechanical pressure, respectively.

Rhodozite properties listed:

• Mohs hardness: 8-8.5

• Color: Colorless, white, pale gray, yellow, yellow-green, pink, or red

• Crystal structure: Isometric/cubic

• Luster: Vitreous or adamantine

• Transparency: Translucent to transparent

• Refractive index: 1.684-1.694

• Density: 3.30-3.44

• Cleavage: None or distinct/good on {111}

• Fracture: Conchoidal

• Streak: White

• Luminescence: Fluorescence present - weak to moderate yellow or yellow-green in SW-UV & sometimes weak yellow-green in LW-UV; X-rays - Strong green or yellow with phosphorescence

• Pleochroism: None

• Birefringence: None; Often anomalous birefringence

• Dispersion: 0.018 (moderate)

Rhodizite Crystal Meaning & History

Looking at rhodizite’s metaphysical properties, the stone symbolizes radiating light, energy, and exploration. It also embodies the balance of masculine and feminine strengths.

As a storm element stone, rhodizite can be used for embracing change by cleaning out the old to welcome in the new.

History

Rhodozite gets its name from the Greek term rhodizein, meaning “rose-colored” because it makes a rose-red flame under a blowpipe. The mineral has two type localities in Russia: the Ministerskaya Yama Pit and Mor’s Pit, both in Sverdlovsk Oblast.

German mineralogist Gustav Rose first described and named rhodizite in 1834 based on Russian specimens. Rose didn’t include chemical analysis, so French mineralogist Alexis Damour published a chemical analysis of the stone in 1882.

However, Damour’s analysis wasn’t entirely accurate, as it left out lithium and beryllium.

The first discovery of rhodizite in Madagascar (now the only source of gem-quality specimens) was published in 1910 by Swiss chemist Louis-Claude Duparc et al.

Londonite Discovery

In 1998, londonite was discovered in Madagascar. The IMA approved it in 1999 and londonite was given its first description in 2001 by American mineralogist William B. Simmons et al. They described it as the “Cs-dominant analogue of rhodizite.”

In 2010, Russian mineralogist Igor V. Pekov et al. reanalyzed some of the original Russian rhodizite specimens. They found that all the specimens they analyzed were actually Cs-dominant, making them technically londonite.

Today, any unanalyzed specimens from Madagascar are labeled “londonite-rhodizite series.”

Back to the metaphysical side, what are the healing properties of rhodizite?

Pictured above: Greenish-yellow rhodizite crystal specimen on matrix with smoky quartz, exchanged from Madagascar specialist Dr. Federico Pezzotta | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Rhodizite Healing Properties

As a commonly yellow healing stone, rhodizite brings the joyful and creativity-boosting properties of yellow gemstones.

Physical Healing

Purported physical rhodizite benefits include treating problems related to:

• Cell diseases

• Migraines & headaches

• Vision

• Inflammation

• Acid imbalance

Emotional Healing

Emotionally, rhodizite is believed to clear brain fog, allowing you to concentrate better, along with recalling and communicating information more easily without anxiety clogging things up.

The crystal is also said to help you understand yourself better, boosting intuition and facilitating personal growth.

Chakra Healing

Chakra healing involves resolving a blocked energy center (chakra) by balancing it. Rhodizite is a chakra stone for the solar plexus, heart, and third eye chakras.

By balancing and aligning all three of these chakras, rhodizite can allow you to effectively handle your emotions (internally and externally, through relationships) while gaining a deeper understanding of yourself, both emotionally and spiritually.

Rhodizite Gemstone Properties

Besides their rarity, rhodizite gemstones are valued on color, cut, clarity, carat weight, and treatments.

Color

Most rhodizite stones are colorless to yellow, sometimes with a light gray or yellow undertone. Less often rhodizite is yellow-green, red, or pink.

Natural gemstones are colorless to greenish-yellow with light tone and moderate saturation. Irradiation treatments (discussed later) can alter this coloring.

Cut

Gem-quality rhodizites in large enough sizes to facet are really rare, making faceted gems more valuable. Common cuts are standard oval brilliant, cushion, and emerald shapes.

Most rhodizite is available as rough (uncut) crystals, including most of the crystals incorporated into jewelry.

Clarity

Clarity describes the degree of visible inclusions in a gem. Faceted rhodizites are generally eye-clean (no visible inclusions) to moderately included.

The most common are partially healed fractures with fluid-gas inclusions. Partially healed fractures can also have spiderweb-like, stringer-like, or “fingerprint” arrays.

Other common inclusions in rhodizite gems are:

• Growth zoning (with roiled, parallel planar, angular, or swirled pattern)

• Feathers

• Needles

• Tubes

Growth zoning in rhodizite is frequently correlated with anomalous birefringence, which can form even more patterns than those mentioned above, like cross-hatched, irregular, and patchy patterns. Parallel planing patterns are most common.

Though mineral inclusions are rare, some rough contains:

• Albite

• Apatite

• Chambersite

• Columbite

• Pollucite

• Tourmaline

• Quartz

Carat Weight

Although rhodizite specimens (attached to other minerals) can be quite large, gemstone rough is small. Most faceted stones are 0.5- to 1-carat, and gems over 2 carats exist but are more included.

The price-per-carat of faceted rhodizites over 1 carat increases significantly.

Treatments

Some rhodizite gemstones are treated with irradiation to make colorless stones yellow or greenish-yellow and make their color more saturated.

Both irradiated and naturally colored yellow rhodizites will fade in color with prolonged sunlight exposure.

Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Rhodizite Formation & Sources

Rhodizite forms in certain granite pegmatites as a late-stage accessory mineral, meaning later in the rock’s process of solidifying from magma.

Common associated minerals are:

• Albite

• Béhierite

• Beryl

• Tourmaline (elbaite, rubellite)

• Londonite

• Microcline

• Quartz

• Spodumene

Mining Locations

Rhodizite minerals have only been found in four countries:

• Madagascar

• Russia (rose-red crystals)

• UK (England)

• USA (Wisconsin)

Gem-quality rhodizite only comes from Madagascar. The best pegmatite in Antsongombato has unfortunately been exhausted, but a few other pegmatites nearby have potential. From 1998 to 2002, around 300 carats of gem-quality rhodizite-londonite gemstones from the Antsongombato deposit have been faceted.

Rhodizite Price & Value

Unsurprisingly, faceted rhodizites are generally priciest.

Faceted rhodizite gemstones range from around $40 to $550 per carat or about $30 to $1,740 each.

Most rhodozite for sale is rough (uncut). The priciest options, from $110 to $1,450, are rhodizite and londonite specimens, with the additional presence of liddicoatite increasing the price.

On the lowest end, you can find small rhodizite crystal specimens for $0.20 to $7. Facetable crystals are around $25 to $40 per carat or about $25 to $230 each.

Rhodizite jewelry is limited, but you can find raw rhodizite crystal pendants and earrings for around $30 to $80.

Last up is gemstone care.

Rhodizite Care and Maintenance

First, is rhodizite safe? Yes. Though some forms of cesium are toxic, the cesium in rhodizite is safe.

Luckily, rhodizite is quite strong, so even a rhodizite ring is pretty durable. However, rhodizite (and londonite) gems will slowly fade in color with exposure to sunlight. Irradiated stones fade more quickly, but both will fade eventually.

Therefore, it’s best to only wear rhodizite indoors or during the evening and store it away from sunlight.

You can technically clean rhodizite with mechanical systems, but this poses a risk for highly included gems, so we recommend the standard warm water, mild soap, and a soft toothbrush.

Is Rhodizite Right for You?

Not only does rhodizite have a jazzy name, this rare stone is a ray of sunshine and delight with toughness to boot. Find the best rhodizite for your space, jewelry, or rare gem collection!

Buy rhodizite gemstones today!