A rare, bright emerald-green or blue-green mineral containing copper and silicate that often forms beautiful transparent crystals.
From Greek 'dia-' (through) + 'optasis' (vision), literally meaning 'through-seeing,' named because you can see through the crystal, distinguishing it from opaque minerals.
Dioptase looks identical to emerald at first glance, but geologists named it 'through-seeing' because it's so transparent they could literally see through it, whereas real emeralds are usually more cloudy—it's the original 'see-through' gem discovery.
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