DIOPTASE. ...

Description

DIOPTASE
Kaokoveld Plateau, Kunene Region, Namibia
Out near the Angolan border of Namibia in southwestern Africa, there are a series of small Copper deposits that are worked the old fashioned way: by hand. While this doesn't result in any great production of ore, it does result in the occasional find of beautiful and rare minerals. The tribal miners know that collectors in the outside world are absolutely crazy over the Dioptase that they are digging and if they are careful not to damage them, they are worth far more as specimens than as ore. Most specimens are single loose crystals, but from time to time, a large and fine matrix specimen like this one may appear. Here, numerous lustrous and prismatic Dioptase crystals are scattered over a matte matrix of light blue mammilary Shattuckite with a small amount of Malachite staining. Typical in luster and form, the largest Dioptase crystal is around ¾ inch in length; fairly sizable for Dioptase from here (or anywhere else for that matter). A big part of the attractiveness of this mineral is due to its unearthly color: no photo of Dioptase can ever capture the unique blue-green hue of this mineral. Professional photographers refer to this phenomenon as being "Out of Gamut": a color that is literally impossible to reproduce. It measures a sizable 5½ inches long x 2¾ inches wide x 2½ inches high.



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