Do you know Dioptase?
Long confused with Emerald, learn more about this magnificent unknown gem
In the 18th century, the German mineralogist Moritz Rudolph Ferber became interested in and studied this mineral, which he considered (erroneously) to be emerald. It was in 1797 that the French mineralogist René Just Haüy demonstrated that it was a separate mineral. Haüy names this gem Dioptase: from the Greek dia ("through") and optazo ("I see"). This refers to the fact that we can see through the gem, the cleavage planes, a characteristic inclusion of this mineral.
Dioptase brute
Dioptase Brute
The name of the dioptase stone is originally feminine. It was then called copper dioptase, then finds the name dioptase in the masculine or in the feminine. Nowadays, both genders remain, but the French Society of Mineralogy and Crystallography gender gender. Formerly called "copper emerald", it was considered a stone of abundance and wealth.
Dioptase deposits
The best deposits that provide quality stone are located in Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo where crystals of exceptional quality and dimensions of up to eight by two centimeters cover geodes in the chrysocolla.
Namibia provides superb specimens up to five centimeters in length on white calcite at Tsumeb, or on quartz at Kaokoland.
The largest known specimens exceed fifteen centimeters in length and come from Angola. We can also observe very beautiful stones in Kazakhstan and in several mines in the Arizona region such as the Mammoth-Saint Anthony Mine site, where it is sometimes associated with wulfenite.
Dioptase brute
Dioptase in jewelry
It has been used very little in jewelry because of its low hardness, in its raw form, making each piece unique. Among the big names in jewelry that have used it, we can cite Roland Schad, Andrew Grima, Jean Vendôme and Gilbert Albert.
Dioptase Ring Diamonds Yellow Gold Andrew Grima
Jean Vendome Yellow Gold Dioptase Ring
All these jewelry artists belonged to the current of the 70s and used the raw dioptase which they mounted on yellow gold in order to sublimate the saturated green color and the crystalline structure of the gem.
Collier Andrew Grima Dioptase Diamants Or jaune
In the field of lithotherapy, dioptase has many virtues on the mental level. It allows people suffering from disorders resulting from past trauma or physical or mental abuse suffered in their lives to accompany them. She grooms the inner child. It helps to see one's own inner beauty and it helps to develop self-love.
If you are interested in jewelery set with dioptase, do not hesitate to discover what Les Pierres de Julie offers in store…
We are also available for any free expertise of your dioptase jewelry, for this you can send an email with your photos to contact@lespierresdejulie.com.
Welcome to our shop in the Swiss village of the 15th arrondissement of Paris!
Broche Dioptase Diamants Or Jaune Andrew Grima
Whether you're interested in buying a piece of jewellery or a stone, a free jewelry appraisal or jewelry resale, Pierres de Julie welcomes you to its Parisian boutique in the Village Suisse, a stone's throw from the Ecole Militaire and the Esplanade des Invalides.
