Image Credit: Mariusz Olesczuk
Image Credit: Mariusz Oleszczuk
Specimen Title
Dioptase (w. plancheite)
Associated Minerals
calcite (?); plancheite; quartz
Principal Mineral
Size
Cabinet; 70mm
Location in the Mine
Second oxidation zone
Provenance
Pieters, S.; Lammer, F.
Collection
Oleszczuk, M.; DPT36
Entry Number
Specimen; TSNB485
Associated Minerals
calcite (?); plancheite; quartz
Description
Emerald-green crystals of dioptase are scattered sparsely over a crust of pale-blue plancheite (XRD verified). The size distribution of the dioptase crystals is bimodal, with a very few individual crystals (to 8 mm) standing prominently on the plancheite and contrasting with localised aggregates comprising numerous sub-mm crystals. The plancheite forms a sub-botryoidal crust on the surface of a siliceous, quartz-rich matrix. Sparse aggregates of colourless-white calcite (?) are also present on the plancheite.
The specimen was formerly in the collection of Franz Lammer, who's label indicates that he purchased it from Sid Pieters in Windhoek, Namibia (Exhibit 2).
