Dioptase (GEMMY crystals) with Quartz

Item Description

Various localities in the Republic of the Congo over the last 15 years or so have produced some wonderful specimens of Dioptase, among the best and most recognized examples from any locality in the modern era of mineral collecting. This piece is a beautiful example from the Ntola Mine featuring VERY GEMMY trigonal prisms of sharp, lustrous, rich emerald green Dioptase measuring up to 8 mm, associated with equally gemmy colorless Quartz crystals, and no matrix. Now I realize that Quartz is a common mineral, but it's rare to find it in association with Dioptase from the Mindouli area, and I've found that this particular style/association has produced some of the finest quality Dioptase crystals for their color, luster and gemminess. I don't know if the Quartz plays a part in the quality, but it's certainly better than most you'll see.