Dioptase

specimen number:
9506352

location:
Reneville, Pool, Republic of Congo

description:

Gorgeous emerald green crystals of dioptase measuring to 1.0 cm in size covering the top of this matrix. Micro-chipping is present but minimal, I feel that the specimen is in very good condition. Quite attractive, very fine for the species and locality.

The mines around Reneville, located in the Pool Department of the Republic of the Congo within the Niari Basin, is historically renowned for its rich polymetallic mineral deposits. Geologically, the area consists of sedimentary rock formations where intensive supergene oxidation processes have yielded exceptional secondary copper mineralization, most notably world-class crystal specimens of dioptase and malachite. Historically, the deposits of this region were worked by local African communities for centuries before European contact, serving as a vital medium for regional trade. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, French colonial prospectors initiated formal industrial extraction, targeting the high-grade copper carbonates that characterize the district.

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