Diopside

Diopside stone is a calcium magnesium silicate mineral of the group pyroxene. It is available in a chromium-rich gem variety and is called as chrome diopside in bright color. The stone is relatively soft. It is also common to many high-temperature assemblages of the calcium-silicate units.

Diopside is vitreous or greasy from transparent to translucent. It is doubly refractive. The finer specimens fit for gem purposes. When it is cut brilliantly, it makes a very attractive stone and resembles green tourmaline.

Diopside is used for the mental body. It encourages the intellect, helps to grow one in academic, and it also encourages creativity, particularly in pursuits of writing. This is the perfect stone for fresh authors as it enables them to get the thoughts in black and white and in a timely fashion. Some even say that it is a good stone when learning mathematics or other intellectual pursuits. Physically, diopside is used for psychological disorders.

Diopside is found near Dekalb, St. Lawrence County, New York. The specific gravity of the stone is 3.3 - 3.6 and hardness is 5 to 6 on Mohs scale. It is suitable for making earrings and pendants. Since it is very soft, making rings is a bad choice.

Techinical Specification

Name	Moh's	Specific Gravity	Structure	Cleavage	Refractive Index	Double	Disp.	Pleochro	Fluorescence
Diopside	5-6	3.27-3.31	Monoclinic	Perfect	1.671-1.726	+0.028	None	Weak	Strong dark violet