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Dioptase Update – March 2015
Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 03.12.2015 | Filed under: Latest, Recent Mineral Updates

The beautiful dioptase specimens in this Dioptase Update (click here) were found recently – I acquired them from the team currently conducting specimen mining at Altyn Tyube, in the Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan.
Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazahstan

Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan – 5.9 cm

Dioptase was first described from Altyn Tyube, the type locality for dioptase, in the nineteenth century. Altyn Tyube is a remarkable deposit in the Steppes, far from everywhere. It was first worked for copper thousands of years B.C., and it is interesting to note that there are very few copper minerals at the locality – dioptase with occasional minor malachite and cuprite.
Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazahstan

Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan – field of view approx 4.7  cm

Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan

Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan – 5.8 cm

Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan

 Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan – 4.1 cm

Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan

Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan – 5.5 cm

Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan

Dioptase, Altyn-Tyube, Kirghiz Steppes, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan – 3.7 cm


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