Dioptase with Mimetite

Item Description

A beautiful and colorful small cabinet sized piece is from a discovery at the Ntola Mine in Rep. of the Congo in January of 2019. It's important to note that for many months (maybe more than a year), these pieces were originally reported as coming from the Mpita Mine, but they are indeed from Ntola. Dioptase has such a beautiful color, and it really isn't a rare species, but the one problem is that there aren't too many world localities that produce excellent crystallized display specimens. Obviously Tsumeb is the world's greatest locality for the species, but it's been decades since anything has been found, so any time a new locality produces anything of note, it gets attention. These pieces from Republic of Congo are great modern examples, and this piece is filled with excellent, highly lustrous, deep emerald green trigonal crystals along with unusually spherical aggregates (a rare style for Dioptase from any locality) on matrix. The largest individual Dioptase crystal measures about 6 mm. Upon close inspection, you can a see a rich yellow-orange colored crystals of Mimetite, which is a rare association, not just for this locality, but for Dioptase in general. The crystals are best seen under magnification, but they look good up close. A few minor bruises can seen, but overall the piece is in good condition. We all know that the prices for Tsumeb Dioptase specimens are on the rise, but you can pick up this attractive "Tsumeb-esque" specimen for a great price, with an association that is rarely seen around the world.