Dioptase (uncommon locale)

Item Description

Lustrous, translucent, rich emerald-green dioptase crystals, to 1.5 cm, are aesthetically clustered in a 3.0 cm vug on this showy and excellent miniature from this uncommon locale. Dioptase specimens are very rare from this obscure Pb-Zn and Cu mine and district in the Republic of Congo. Choice and rare material from this uncommon locale, known for huge wulfenite crystals to nearly 2 kilograms. Old specimens from this locale probably date from the 1920s to perhaps the 1960s and based on those a recent re-mining effort was led in 2013-2014. The gemmy green color and crystal style of these dioptase crystals are unlike any from any other African locale, including Mindouli and Reneville in the Republic of Congo, copper mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Kaokoveld in Namibia or Tsumeb. See the excellent locality article in The Mineralogical Record, July-August, 2018, Vol. 49. No. 4. This fine piece is from the recent finds.