General Dioptase Information
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Chemical Formula: |
CuSiO2(OH)2 |
Composition: |
Molecular Weight = 157.64 gm |
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Copper 40.31 % Cu 50.46 % CuO |
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Silicon 17.82 % Si 38.11 % SiO2 |
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Hydrogen 1.28 % H 11.43 % H2O |
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Oxygen 40.60 % O |
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______ ______ |
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100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE |
Empirical Formula: |
CuSiO2(OH)2 |
Environment: |
Secondary mineral in oxidized zones of copper deposits. |
IMA Status: |
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1797 |
Locality: |
Tsumeb and Cochab, Namibia. Altyn Tube, Russia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data. |
Name Origin: |
From the Greek, dia - "through" and optomai - "vision." |
Synonym: |
ICSD 100077 |
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PDF 33-487 |
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Dioptase Image |
Images:
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Dioptase
Comments: Dark-blue-green crystals of dioptase on matrix. The color of dioptase does not photograph well and must be seen in person to appreciate.
Location: Altyn-tyube, Kasakhstan.
Scale: Crystal size 5 mm.
© Dave Barthelmy |
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Images:
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Dioptase
Comments: Emerald green lustrous crystals of dioptase to 14 mm in size and doubly terminated, set upon a limestone and massive calcite matrix.
Location: Altyn-Tyube, South Kazakhstan Oblast', Kazakhstan.
Scale: 3.5 x 4.5 x 2 cm.
© Dan Weinrich |
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Images:
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Dioptase Minrecordite
Comments: Blue-green dioptase covered with minute, rhombic crystals of transparent minrecordite one mm or less in size.
Location: Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia.
Scale: Picture size 1 cm.
© John Veevaert |
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Images:
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Dioptase Kinoite
Comments: Fibrous crystals of blue-green dioptase to 0.75mm on clear apophyllite associated with dark blue kinoite.
Location: Christmas mine, Gila Co., Arizona, USA.
Scale: Pictures size 6 mm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix |
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Dioptase Crystallography
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Axial Ratios: |
a:c = 1:0.53397 |
Cell Dimensions: |
a = 14.57, c = 7.78, Z = 18; V = 1,430.31 Den(Calc)= 3.29 |
Crystal System: |
Trigonal - RhombohedralH-M Symbol ( 3) Space Group: R 3 |
X Ray Diffraction: |
By Intensity(I/Io): 2.6(1), 2.443(0.6), 7.29(0.5), |
Forms:
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Crystal Structure:
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Ribbe P H , Gibbs G V , Hamil M , American Mineralogist , 62 (1977) p.807-811, A refinement of the structure of dioptase, Cu6[Si6O18]*6H2O, Note: sample is from Reneville, Congo
View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Dioptase
[1]
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Physical Properties of Dioptase
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Cleavage: |
[1011] Good |
Color: |
Dark blue green, Emerald green, Turquoise. |
Density: |
3.28 - 3.35, Average = 3.31 |
Diaphaniety: |
Transparent to translucent |
Fracture: |
Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz). |
Habit: |
Cryptocrystalline - Occurs as crystals too small to distinguish with the naked eye. |
Habit: |
Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals. |
Habit: |
Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses. |
Hardness: |
5 - Apatite |
Luminescence: |
None. |
Luster: |
Vitreous (Glassy) |
Magnetism: |
Nonmagnetic |
Streak: |
green |
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Optical Properties of Dioptase
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Gladstone-Dale: |
CI meas= -0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC) CI calc= -0.009 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2058,KPDmeas= 0.2042,KC= 0.2039 |
Optical Data: |
Uniaxial (+), w=1.644-1.658, e=1.697-1.709, bire=0.0510-0.0530. |
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Calculated Properties of Dioptase
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Electron Density: |
relectron=3.24 gm/cc note: rDioptase =3.32 gm/cc. |
Fermion Index |
Fermion Index = 0.00851 Boson Index = 0.99149 |
Photoelectric: |
PEDioptase = 18.11 barns/electron U=PEDioptase x relectron= 58.65 barns/cc. |
Radioactivity: |
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Dioptase is Not Radioactive |
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Dioptase Classification
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Dana Class: |
61.1.3.1 (61)Cyclosilicate Six-Membered Rings |
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(61.1)with [Si6O18] rings; possible (OH) and Al substitution |
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(61.1.3)Dana Group |
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61.1.3.1 Dioptase CuSiO2(OH)2 R 3 3 |
Strunz Class: |
VIII/E.21-10 VIII - Silicates |
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VIII/E - Cyklosilicates, six rings [Si6O18]12- |
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VIII/E.21 - Dioptase - Chrysocolla series |
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VIII/E.21-10 Dioptase CuSiO2(OH)2 R 3 3 |
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VIII/E.21-20 Chrysocolla (Cu,Al)2H2Si2O5(OH)4·n(H2O) Unk Ortho |
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Other Dioptase Information
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References: |
NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32) |
See Also: |
Links to other databases for Dioptase :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Applied Mineralogy
4 -Athena
5 - Crocoite.com Mineral Locations
6 - EUROmin Project
7 -Google Images
8 -Google Scholar
9 -Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - HyperPhysics
12 -MinDAT
13 -MinMax(Deutsch)
14 -MinMax(English)
15 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
16 - Philatelic Mineralogy
17 -QUT Mineral Atlas
18 - Tradeshop.com - The Rainbow of Gems
19 - WWW-MINCRYST
20 - YupRocks
21 -theimage
22 -École des Mines de Paris
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Dioptase Specimen Label here :
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Dioptase
CuSiO2(OH)2
Dana No: 61.1.3.1 Strunz No: VIII/E.21-10
Locality:
Notes:
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