Emerald green dioptase crystal cluster displaying full vertical mirror reflection
Detailed macro shot of green dioptase crystals over white matrix
Close front overview of a dense green dioptase crystal aggregate
Macro photograph detailing sharp translucent faces of emerald green dioptase

Dioptase

Dioptase – CuSiO3·H2O
Elements: Copper, Silicon, Oxygen, Hydrogen
Class: Silicates – Cyclosilicates
Crystal System: Trigonal
Hardness: 5
Apatite
Talc (1)Diamond (10)
About as hard as a steel knife blade.
Origin: Kimbedi, Mindouli District, Pool Department – Congo (drc)
Did you know?

Dioptase is such a deep emerald green that eighteenth-century prospectors in Central Asia were convinced they had struck a fortune in emeralds. It is a copper mineral, far too soft and cleavable to cut as a gem.

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