Dioptase:
There is green and then there is dioptase green. South Africa is famous for producing the finest and largest dioptase crystals in the world.
Named in 1797 from the Greek for "through" and "to see" in allusion to the visibility of internal cleavage planes. It was named for specimens from Kazakhstan. Which were the best known until Tsumeb specimens were found.
Today about 100 localities are known for dioptase including Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, California, Chile,Argentina, and Peru.
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