Diaspore crystals from massachusetts were when found apparently suitable for cutting and a few gems may have been cut from the pennsylvania material. The name diaspore comes from the greek for diaspora which means to scatter or spread a reference to the gemstone s ability to disperse light in all directions. It has a hardness of 6 5 to 7 on the mohs scale. Jewelers began to acquire some small stones during the 1990s but larger fine quality crystals remained a collector s hoard. Diaspore has perfect cleavage in one direction making it a challenge to cut.
High quality specimens have excellent transparency and a color change from a kiwi green to champagne and pink depending on the lighting. Diaspore has reasonably good gemstone characteristics. It occurs sometimes as flattened crystals but usually as lamellar or scaly masses the flattened surface being a direction of perfect cleavage on which the lustre is markedly pearly in character. But thus far the only gem quality material has been mined in turkey. Diaspore as a mineral has been around since its discovery as a species in 1801 but it wasn t until the 1970 s that this mineral was first faceted for gemstone use.
Diaspore deposits have now been found in a number of locations around the world including arizona and pennsylvania in the usa new zealand brazil argentina russia uk and china. From the 1970 s through 2005 occasional gems were cut from diaspore for collectors but in 2006 this mineral started being mined specifically for gemstone use. Also known as zultanite diaspore gemstones come from turkey and they feature an incredible color changing quality. Commercial mining began in 2006 when zultanite gems llc obtained mining rights to the deposit. Diaspore ˈdaɪəspɔːr also known as diasporite empholite kayserite or tanatarite is an aluminium oxide hydroxide mineral α alo oh crystallizing in the orthorhombic system and isomorphous with goethite.
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It has a hardness of 6 5 to 7 on the mohs scale comparable to peridot and tanzanite. It has a refractive index of 1 702 to 1 750 which lies between that of tanzanite and spinel. In incandescent light however it exudes a beautiful reddish pink color. Though diaspore is found in several localities throughout the world the only source of gemstone material is in a bauxite deposit in the anatolian. Color change diaspore is an extremely rare gemstone quality form of aluminum oxide hydroxide one of three major mineral components of bauxite an important ore of aluminum widely used for many industrial purposes.Gem quality transparent color change diaspore zultanite was discovered in the early 1970s. The gemstone was first discovered in russia in 1801 and is a relatively recent gemstone. Diaspore diaspore also known as zultanite or csarite is a rare color change gem from turkey. However cut disapore was at best an extremely unlikely gemstone until the find of crystals in turkey. Gem quality transparent color change diaspore zultanite was discovered in the early 1970s.
However cut disapore was at best an extremely unlikely gemstone until the find of crystals in turkey. It has a hardness of 6 5 to 7 on the mohs scale comparable to peridot and tanzanite. Diaspore deposits have now been found in a number of locations around the world including arizona and pennsylvania in the usa new zealand brazil argentina russia uk and china. High quality specimens have excellent transparency and a color change from a kiwi green to champagne and pink depending on the lighting. Diaspore crystals from massachusetts were when found apparently suitable for cutting and a few gems may have been cut from the pennsylvania material.
