Diopside

Diopside occurs as a colorless, bottle-green, brownish green, or light green stone. The more iron-rich and magnesium-poor they are, the darker the color – almost to black. Very bright green diopside, colored by chromium, is known as chrome diopside. Violet-blue crystals, colored by manganese, occur in Italy and the USA. They may be called violane.

Diopside is cut as beads when massive, cut for collectors when transparent, and cut en cabochon when fibrous.

Occurrence

Gem-quality chrome diopside occurs in Pakistan, South Africa, Myanmar (Burma), and Siberia (Russia). Other localities include Brazil, Austria, the USA, Sri Lanka, Italy, Canada, and Madagascar. Dark green to black diopside, which shows a 4-rayed star when cut en cabochon, has been mined in South India since 1964.

Diopside Properties

• Specific Gravity: 3.29
• Refractive Index: 1.66-1.72
• Birefringence (DR): 0.029
• Luster: Vitreous
• Crystal Structure: Monoclinic
• Composition: Calcium magnesium silicate
• Hardness: 5½

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