{"title":"Dioptase from Republic of the Congo","description":"\u003cstyle type=\"text\/css\"\u003e\u003c!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--\u003e\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003eMindouli, in the Pool Department of the Republic of the Congo, lies within the West Congo Belt and is one of Africa’s best-known copper districts. Local communities were mining copper here as early as the 13th century, and colonial-era mining companies began systematic extraction in the early 20th century. Sanda Hills, within the Mindouli district, is one of the most distinctive dioptase localities, and the type locality of plancheite.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSanda Hills dioptase is a deep, emerald green with gemmy crystals that seem to glow when light passes through them. Unlike many localities, it often occurs with quartz, sometimes enclosed inside transparent quartz, a combination not easily found among the Republic of the Congo’s localities. Dioptase also often grows with cerussite, shattuckite and chrysocolla, weaving emerald green, pure white, sky blue and teal together on one specimen in rich layers of color.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/mineral-taiwanshop.thebrothersstones.com\/en-us\/collections\/dioptase-republic-of-the-congo.oembed","provider":"Taiwan Mineral Shop by The Brothers' Stones","version":"1.0","type":"link"}