Dioptase (new find!)

Item Description

This piece came from a brand new find in January of 2019 at the Mpita Mine. Dioptase is one of those species that appeals to nearly every body, but there are not that many localities that produce excellent specimens. Last year, we got our hands on some brand new specimens from the Mpita Mine which is near the small village of Kimbedi on the railroad between Lutete and Mindouli in Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville). What makes these specimens a bit different from what we've seen in the past is that they feature beautiful clusters groups of Dioptase. At first glance, one can almost picture this as a Tsumeb specimen, as the Dioptase crystals have formed with tiny silvery-white colored Calcite rhombs, but it does have its own distinctive appearance that sets it apart. The color of the crystals is superb, with that classic emerald green hue, and they are highly lustrous with fine trigonal form. The largest individual Dioptase crystal measures 6 mm long. Some of the Dioptase crystals have formed in almost "spherical" groups (measuring up to 2.5 cm across), while others have a bit more of a layered / parallel growth style to them. Some have suggested that these could be pseudomorphs or "casts" of Dioptase replacing a spherical copper silicate mineral like Plancheite, while others have thought these Dioptase groups could have formed after bubbles of clay in the pocket during formation. The back of the specimen has a thin coating of an olive-green colored mineral, possibly something as common as Malachite or maybe along the lines of Mottramite. Additionally, if you look closely, you can see very small, but brilliant orange-yellow crystals of Wulfenite sprinkled here and there! We took a few micro photo to better illustrate the quality of the little Wulfenites, and you can see that they are actually pyramidal in habit, which is unusual for the locality. The contrast between the Dioptase and the Wulfenites is just beautiful, and reminds one of the same association from Tiger, Arizona. Nearly damage free on the front, very minor imperfections. When you consider the high prices being paid for Tsumeb Dioptase specimens today, this piece is a great bargain by comparison and still has a bit of the "Tsumeb"-esque quality to it. Priced in the inventory at $700.