Chrome Diopside Gemstone & Information | Gemopedia by JTV | Gemopedia™

Chrome diopside has several origins, but most of the finest material, and the only commercially viable deposit, is in the Republic of Sakha in Siberia, Russia. As you can imagine, production of this Siberian treasure is sporadic due to extreme winters that last more than eight months. The vivid greens of chrome diopside are a welcome alternative to rare and pricey emerald or tsavorite garnet, but has yet to gain mainstream recognition due to its limited availability. Minor sources of chrome diopside include Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Italy, Madagascar, South Africa and the United States.
Colors
Medium Dark Vivid Green, Bluish Green To Yellowish Green
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Chrome-diopside classification
CommonNameChrome DiopsideSpeciesDiopsideVarietyChrome DiopsideColorsMedium Dark Vivid Green, Bluish Green To Yellowish GreenAlternateNamesTashmarine (Yellowish Green Material)GemstoneGroupsPyroxeneKeySeparationsrefractive index, birefringence, optic character and spectrum. Chrome diopside may be separated from ordinary green diopside by their respective spectra; ordinary green does not have lines in the orange and red characteristic of the presence of chromium.ClassificationComments -
Chrome-diopside chemistry & crystallography
ChemicalNamecalcium magnesium silicateChemicalFormulaCaMgSi2O6SynthesisCrystalSystemMonoclinicChemistryClassificationSilicateNatureNaturalCrystallinityCrystallineChemistryComments -
Chrome-diopside optical properties
TransparencyTransparent - OpaqueDispersionStrength: moderate fire Value: 0.02OpticalCommentsRefractiveIndex1.675-1.701
Tolerance:(+0.029/-0.010)Birefringence0.024-0.03OpticCharacterBiaxialOpticSignPositivePolariscopeReactionDoubly Refractive (DR)FluorescenceSWUV: Inert
LWUV: GreenCCFReactionPleochroismDichroic, weak to strong light and dark green -
Chrome-diopside characteristic physical properties
Hardness5.5-6.5CharacteristicCommentsStreakSpecificGravity3.22-3.4 Range:0.11/-0.07 Typical:3.29ToughnessPoorInclusionsBlack needle-like magnetite inclusions that might be magnetic, metallic like inclusions and liquid inclusions.LusterVitreousStabilityFractureConchoidal, UnevenCleavageGood, in two directions