Beautiful new dioptase specimens from Mindouli, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) – these were mined very recently and arrived in Europe a few days before Sainte-Marie. Sharp, lustrous and of course, wonderful green, these dioptase specimens are now posted under Dioptase – July 2014 Update.

Nestled in the Val d’Argent, in Alsace, France, the town of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines hosts one of the world’s largest minerals shows, with character and class unto itself. I’ve added this post to give a glimpse into finds and highlights from Sainte-Marie 2014.