Diopside

Diopside is a common mineral from the pyroxene group, valued for its variety of colors and attractive glassy luster. Its palette includes various shades of green (from pale to rich), as well as brown, black, gray, yellowish, sometimes even colorless or bluish.

Its bright green variety, chrome diopside, is especially valued, the color of which is due to impurities of chromium. This stone is often called the 'Siberian emerald' because of its rich color and famous deposits in Yakutia. There are also rare varieties with the effect of asterism (star diopside) or cat's eye.

Diopside is formed mainly in metamorphic rocks (for example, marbles and skarns) and some igneous rocks. It is also found in kimberlites and, occasionally, in meteorites. Significant deposits of diopside are located in Italy (classic location), Canada, Pakistan, Myanmar, the United States, Finland and Madagascar. Due to its beauty and relative availability, diopside is used in jewelry (especially transparent green varieties and chrome diopside) and is a popular object for mineral collectors. It is valued for its natural aesthetics and variety of shapes and shades.

Diopside is a mineral that attracts both collectors with its diversity and connoisseurs of natural beauty with its rich colors.