Dioptase

Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
Small Cabinet, 7.1 x 3.6 x 3.1 cm
Start Time: 05/04/2017 6:30:00 pm (CDT)
End Time: 05/16/2017 6:30:00 pm (CDT)
Auction Closed

Item Description

When it comes to Dioptase, there is no locality greater or more prolific than Tsumeb for quantity and quality. The finest Tsumeb Dioptases are simply breathtaking, and now in very short supply on the market. This specimen exhibits the top emerald green color (impossible to replicate in photos) that made these specimens so famous. The crystals themselves measure up to 5 mm, and the vast majority of them are undamaged. You can see they are VERY gemmy and bright when backlit. They final touch to these sharp, lustrous trigonal crystals is the fact that they are sitting on classic pearly white Calcite which is a staple from Tsumeb. I love the fact that some of crystals are well isolated, and not completely intergrown and "jumbled" together. We found a small spot on the piece which is most likely Duftite, but it could be Mimetite or something rarer. We took a close up / micro photo to illustrate this part of the piece. The Calcites also fluoresce a lovely pink hue under UV light. I don't have to tell you that the value of Tsumeb specimens seems to rise daily, and fine quality specimens are now highly sought after, and prized more than ever by dealers and collectors alike.

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