Detailed information
Species
Dioptase, Calcite
Dimensions
38 x 70 x 18
mm
Weight
36 g
Locality
Tsumeb Mine Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region Namibia
Condition
No recorded repairs
Size alone does not make the perfect specimen. So much of the value and importance of a mineral specimen comes from its aesthetic qualities and we all know how beautiful the copper silicate species Dioptase can be. Even so, there are combinations of species and colours that really work well together: the reason that Tsumeb mine is known as the pinnacle of world Dioptase occurrences is its combination with creamy white Calcite, not seen in this way anywhere else. This magnificent small cabinet specimen presents the perfect example of this combination. On it a thin bed of creamy-white Calcite is studded with the gemmiest, intense emerald-green, rhombic prisms of Dioptase. Not only this, but the crystals attain a very large size - 1.7 cm in length. All of the Dioptase crystals are perfectly formed and they simply have a wonderful artistic layout, making for a beautiful piece of natural art. An absolute Tsumeb classic.