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 a strong pocketed structure, with deep blue-green crystals gathered around a central opening in the matrix. The crystal faces are sharply formed and highly reflective, with a darker green body color that brightens around thinner edges and exposed terminations. What makes this piece especially interesting visually is the contrast between the vivid dioptase, the pale mint-green secondary mineralization, and the reddish-brown host rock. That mix of color and texture gives the specimen a more dramatic, geologically expressive look than a simple crystal plate.

Dioptase is often associated with truth, release, and emotional renewal. Many people are drawn to it when they want to clear out old mental weight and move forward with more honesty and steadiness. Because of its deep color and strong presence, it is often seen as a stone of insight, heart-centered reflection, and meaningful change.

Chemical Composition: CuSiO3·H2O

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