Dioptase - Specimen

Locality: Renéville Mine, Kindamba District, Pool Department, Republic of the Congo

Description: Congo's dioptase has a long history in European collections. The mineral was first noted from "Gabon" in 1874. In 1890, crystals brought back by the explorer Thollon from the Mindouli mine, between Bouenza and Brazzaville, went on display at the Paris natural history museum, where they were said to rival the classic dioptase of Siberia.

Renéville, in the Kindamba District of the Pool Department of the Republic of the Congo, takes its name from René Petit-Jean, who directed the first mining work there for the Compagnie du Djoué around 1913. Its copper and lead ores are also the type locality of a rare mineral, fornacite.

Dioptase is a hydrated copper silicate. It forms near the surface, where weathering copper ores release copper that combines with silica, and the copper gives it its intense green colour.

This one of a kind dioptase specimen has an open crystal habit, with individual crystals standing out clearly from the dark matrix. The color is a vivid blue-green with strong transparency in several points, and the larger crystals rise prominently above a dense bed of smaller growth. The contrast here is especially strong: bright, glassy dioptase against a dark earthy host rock, giving the specimen a dramatic look without feeling crowded. From different angles, the crystal faces flash with a wet, reflective luster, while the overall structure keeps a rugged, natural balance.

Crystal lore: In crystal tradition, dioptase is linked to the heart chakra and associated with honesty, insight and renewal.

Chemical Composition: CuSiO3·H2O

With this product, you will get the actual stone in the photograph.