Rhodochrosite is a type of carbonate mineral of orange, red and pink colors. The poorest quality is the orange gem and they are not valuable stones in terms of price. They are occasionally mistaken for agate, as they have similar bands of color going throughout the gem. The red gems are the most valuable, holding deep rose and vermilion hues and the most prized are the red gems that have distinct bands running through them, creating a lovely pattern. This is a relatively soft stone, rating only 4 on the Moh scale, and it is found in either semi-translucent varieties or the seldom-seen transparent varieties.