Here is a superb slice of rhodochrosite from Argentina that has sharp bull's eye bands of red, pink, tan, and white. The rhodochrosite was deposited in hydrothermal veins in thin layers, creating multiple rings, and the thin stripes of color are characteristic of rhodochrosite that grew as annual growth rings in the form of stalactites and flow stone. The tan stripes are rich in zinc, which was miend here in the early 1900s. The site was mined by the Incas, who believed that rhodochrosite was the blood of their ancestors, thus the color name "Inca rose." This is a fine classic stalactitic rhodochrosite specimen from this pre-Conquistador mine, which was closed in the early 2000s.