Dioptase with Wulfenite (recent find)

Item Description

A wonderful display specimen from the discovery in January 2019. We had to good fortune to be in the right place to pick up a parcel of these attractive new specimens, which are different from what we've seen in the past from the Kimbedi area. You'll notice that the crystals are not large individual singles, but rather smaller clusters which have grown in spherical "balls", a rarely seen style for Dioptase. The largest "ball" measures 7 mm across. You can still see that intense emerald green color which is amplified by the luster, sharpness and classic trigonal shape that you would expect for the species and the locality. The specimen is in very good condition overall, with no major damage, that I can see with the naked eye. Additionally, if you look closely, you can see tiny brilliant orange-yellow crystals of Wulfenite sprinkled here and there! We took a few micro photo to better illustrate the quality of these little crystals. The matrix is covered with tiny grey rhombs of Calcite, reminiscent of Tsumeb. You can spend a great deal of time with this one under the microscope. 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 $1,250. PLEASE NOTE: These specimens were first sold to us as coming from the Mpita Mine, but it has been proven that they are indeed from the Ntola Mine.