Dioptase set in silver (1114721)

This beautiful stone has a dazzling, deep emerald green colour. Its name comes from two Greek words: dia, meaning 'through', and optasis, meaning 'vision'. The first known deposits were brought to Kazakhstan from Siberia in 1870. Initially, it was thought to have been an emerald variety and was named achrite. Its low hardness made it less valuable than an emerald, and so it became known as an "emerald for the poor". In 1801, however, a French mineralogist discovered that it was a completely new mineral and named it Dioptase—keywords: openness, prosperity, health and compassion.

Set in silver - measures 2" x 1"