Dioptase on Quartz (ex Paul Zerfass Collection)

Item Description

From the type locality for the Dioptase! Here we have sharp, gemmy and lustrous, rich emerald-green trigonal crystals on Quartz matrix. The Dioptase crystals reach up to 8 mm on this piece, and despite a few rough spots, is still a worthwhile pickup for this classic and seldom seen material. The color and quality of these dioptase crystals is good for the locale. This is a good representative example of the species and famous deposit. From the collection of the long time, beloved, well-known French field collector, Paul Zerfass (Collection #315). Zerfass built this worldwide collection over nearly 50 years, many of which were personally collected. A biography featuring specimens from his collection (along with his face on the cover) is in the May - June 2017 issue of French mineral magazine, Le Regne Mineral. We have a .pdf copy of the article for anybody interested in reading it (though it's mostly in French). Just drop us a line and know that you'd like to have a copy.