Dioptase (classic material)

Item Description

Dioptase is a beloved copper silicate mineral, celebrated for its amazing color and crystal form, and the species is at its best when its from Tsumeb. This mineral has certainly one of the most desirable and well-known green hues in the world. The top pieces from the famed Tsumeb Mine are the most recognized, classic and hands down most beautiful crystals of the species in the mineral world, highly sought after by collectors today. Most of them were mined over 50 years ago, so they are seldom seen on the market. The crystals on this specimen exhibit a beautiful strong emerald green color (impossible to replicate in photos) which made these specimens so famous, and they GLOW with color when backlit. The crystals measure up to about 1.02cm and feature sharp, lustrous and very well-formed faces with an excellent textbook trigonal shape, sitting on classic white Calcite matrix. The crystals themselves are in good condition overall and look beautiful up close. Minor roughness around the periphery, but it's largely in very good shape.
Valued $5,000.
From the collection of Gary and Terry Butts of Livermore, Colorado. This husband and wife collecting duo were childhood sweethearts, and have been together since they began dating as teenagers growing up in East Des Moines, Iowa in the 1950s. Both of them had an early interest in the hobby thanks to the fact that Terry's parents had a keen interest in lapidary, which sparked an interest in rocks for both of them. Gary and Terry were featured in an article in the Des Moines Register on Feb 4, 1962 (see photo in this listing) highlighting their interest and prowess in the hobby as youngsters. Gary traveled to various localities around the US as a teenager with his father (who worked in the tin industry), to personally collect specimens. He then attended the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado and graduated in 1967 with a degree in extractive metallurgical engineering. We went to work for Duval Corp at the Esperanza Mine south of Tucson, Arizona and then work for Cyprus Mines, Hazen Research, Pincock, Allen & Holt and the Colorado School of Mines Research Institute. His final job was in the mineral and environmental division of Intertek Testing Services of London, which owned the Canadian mineral testing company, Bonder Clegg. Gary's various jobs allowed him to travel the world and build his collection by buying a lot of specimens in person when they were coming out of the ground. Additionally, Terry's uncle was a miner in Creede, Colorado and later owned a rock shop which supplied Gary with specimens from the area. The specimens in this auction represent what Gary and Terry considered the "cream of the crop" of their collection.