Diaspore (rare color) (2012 find)

Item Description

Diaspore is rare from Burma, and certainly very distinctive. Despite is fairly simple chemistry, Diaspore crystals are not terribly common. Purple Diaspore has been reported from places like the Saranovskoye Mine in Russia, and in the Saga Quarry in Norway, but these Burmese crystals are different and interesting. This particluar crystal crystal came to us a few years ago. The crystal itself is notable for Diaspore due to the fact that it's amazingly sharp and tabular, which is not a common habit for the mineral. It's also amazingly gemmy which is another trait of Diaspore that we don't see in many crystals. Along with being a "phantom" crystal, the internal color ranges from a soft yellowish/straw color to purplish-red tones. Most people are familiar with Turkish Diaspore which is somewhat of a sandy color, and can change in different lighting to a peach or greenish hue. As is the case with their famous Turkish cousins, these Burmese Diaspore crystals also show a slight color change, but due to the thin nature of the crystals, it's not as notable. If you collect gem crystals, or if you like unusual rarities in smaller sizes, don't miss out on this cool and unusual gem crystal.