Diaspore Value, Price, and Jewelry Informa on

DIASPORE: Turkey (2.10). Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

Diaspore is hard enough to make a durable jewelry stone, but the typical light brownish color is not easy to sell. Despite the large Turkish material, this is a
gemstone indeed.

Diaspore Value
The Interna onal Gem Society (IGS) has a list of businesses offering gemstone appraisal services.

Diaspore Value via Gem Price Guide

Faceted 1 to 12 carats

   to   /ct

See the en re Gem Price Guide.

Start an IGS Membership today for full access to our price guide (updated monthly).
See Plans and Pricing

Diaspore Informa on
DATA VALUE

Name Diaspore

Varie es Color Change Diaspore

Crystallography  Orthorhombic; crystals are elongated plates, acicular needles; also massive, foliated.

Refrac ve Index  1.702-1.750

Colors  Colorless, white, yellowish, pink, rose red to dark red (due to Mn), lilac, greenish, brownish.

Luster  Vitreous; pearly on cleavage.

Fracture  Conchoidal

Hardness  6.5 - 7
 DATA VALUE

Specific Gravity  3.3-3.5; Turkish material 3.39.

Birefringence  0.048

Cleavage  Perfect 1 direc on

Stone Sizes Diaspore crystals from Massachuse s were, when found, apparently suitable for cu ng, and a few gems may have been cut from the Pennsylvania materia
However, cut disapore was, at best, an extremely unlikely gemstone un l the find of crystals in Turkey. This locality has produced the vast majority of cut di
now in existence. Moreover, the locality produced cu able pieces enormously larger than had ever been known previously in the mineral. Private Collec on
of the larger Turkish stones include: 157.66 (brown, emerald-cut—world's largest): 26.97 (light brown, oval); 10.63 (light brown).

Luminescence  Dull pale yellow in SW (Chester, Massachuse s), Turkish stones fluoresce green in SW.

Transparency  Translucent to transparent.

Absorp on Not diagnos c; Turkish stones show broad bands at 4710, 4630, 4540, and a sharp line at 7010.
Spectrum 

Phenomena  Chatoyancy (rare); color change.

Formula AIO(OH) + Mn.

Pleochroism  Strong in manganiferous variety: violet-blue/pale green/rose to dark red.

Op cs  a = 1.702; β = 1.722; γ = 1.750. Biaxial (+). 2V = 85°.

DIASPORE Dimorph of Boehmite.

Op cs: a = 1.702; β = 1.722; γ = 1.750.

Biaxial (+). 2V = 85°.

Occurrence: In metamorphosed limestones, chlori c schists, and altered igneous rocks. Also in bauxite deposits.

Mamaris, Yagatan, Mugla Province, Turkey: gemmy, pale brown crystals of very large size.

Chester, Massachuse s: with corundum in emery deposit; some fragments cu able.

Chester County Pennsylvania: fine transparent crystals up to 2 inches long and ¼ inch thick, colorless to brown; some cu able. Hungary: good crystals.

Postmasburg district, South Africa: manganiferous variety.

Cornwall, England; Greenland; Norway; Sweden; France; Switzerland; Germany; Greece; USSR; Japan; China

Comments: Diaspore is hard enough to make a durable jewelry stone, but the typical light brownish color is not easy to sell. Despite the large Turkish mate
is a very rare gemstone indeed.

Name: From the Greek diaspeirein, meaning to sca er, because it falls apart in the hot flame of a blowpipe.

by Joel E. Arem, Ph.D., FGA

© 2019 Interna onal Gem Society LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use