Dioptase

I have to admit when I bought my very first specimen of Dioptase in the mid-1980s, I asked the dealer where was this Tsumeb mine and how on earth did you pronounce Tsumeb; I’d never before come across a silent ‘T’! This is a terrific small miniature from Tsumeb and well-priced at just $180 as Dioptase prices have rocketed in the last decade. The typical pinkish to brick red dolomitic matrix is encrusted on all sides (apart from the base) with tightly-packed, deep emerald green Dioptase crystals, the largest measuring 1 cm long. The crystals grade from transparent outer shells to opaque cores, the interface between looking like embedded green metallic foil.