Dioptase (ex Henry de Linde Collection)

Item Description

A beautiful miniature sized specimen of Dioptase from Tsumeb featuring incredibly sharp, highly lustrous, intense emerald green colored trigonal crystals measuring up to 1.1 cm on a thin layer of white Calcite and reddish-brown host rock matrix. Without question, the Dioptase specimens from this incredibly prolific locality are the standard for the species, with superior luster, color and crystallization than anywhere else in the world. It's no wonder that nearly 50 years after this piece came out of the ground, it's still as impressive to see as the day it was found. The periphery of the Dioptase cluster is contacted where it was removed from the pocket wall, but the central crystals are in excellent shape, with only minor imperfections that you really can't see without magnification. These specimens are some of the most iconic minerals in the history of mineral collecting, as they are instantly recognizable, and remain as popular with collectors as they were decades ago. From the collection of Henry de Linde (March 21, 1923 – April 4, 2019) of Hot Spring, Arkansas. Henry was one of the most prominent figures in the history of Arkansas mining and mineral collecting. Along with being a miner, mineral collector and an amateur mineralogist, de Linde was one of the founders of the Coon Creek Association mineral club. He was the owner of several key localities in Arkansas including the Diamond Jo Quarry (on the south rim of Magnet Cove), the type locality for Delindeite, which was named in his honor in 1987.