Dioptase

specimen number:
8311346

location:
Kimbdei, Pool, Republic of Congo

description:

Brilliant lustrous blocky slightly translucent green crystals of dioptase measuring to 1.0 cm in size across the top of matrix. In good condition.

Kimbedi, located in the Pool Department of the Republic of Congo, is a world-class locality renowned for producing some of the most vibrant and well-crystallized dioptase specimens ever discovered. Geologically, this site is situated within the Neoproterozoic West Congo Belt, where copper-rich hydrothermal fluids interacted with carbonate-rich host rocks to deposit minerals in oxidized zones. The dioptase from Kimbedi is celebrated by collectors for its intense, saturated emerald-green color and exceptional transparency, often appearing as sharp trigonal crystals on a contrasting matrix of white quartz or light-colored clay minerals. Historically, while mining in the region has been primarily artisanal and small-scale, the influx of high-quality specimens onto the international market in recent decades has solidified Kimbedi as a rival to classic localities like Tsumeb. Today, the area remains a vital source for mineralogists studying secondary copper silicate formation in tropical weathering environments, with Kimbedi dioptase standing as a pinnacle of aesthetic perfection in the mineral world.

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