Dioptase with Duftite on Calcite (ex Joe Cilen Collection)

Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
Small Cabinet, 9.4 x 8.0 x 4.3 cm
Start Time: 10/25/2018 6:45:00 pm (CDT)
End Time: 11/01/2018 6:45:00 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 classic emerald green color (impossible to replicate in photos) that made these specimens so famous. The crystals themselves, are on the smaller side (only up to about 1 mm), but they are in good condition overall, and gemmy and bright when backlit. They final touch to these sharp, lustrous trigonal crystals is the fact that they are sitting on crystallized rhombic Calcite matrix (with crystals up to 1.5 cm) with a selective deposition of olive-green Duftite. 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. From the collection of Joe Cilen (#7741). Priced at $800 in the inventory.

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