Diopside can be colorless but it most often a bottle green, brownish green or light green. Bright green diopside is commonly known as chrome diopside because of its chromium content. A rare blue variety known as violan may be found in Italy.
| Common Name | Diopside |
| Species | Diopside |
| Transparency | Semitranslucent - Opaque |
| Dispersion | Strength: Moderate Fire Value: 0.02 |
| Refractive Index |
1.675-1.701 Tolerance:(+0.029/-0.010) |
| Birefringence | 0.024-0.03 |
| Optic Character | Biaxial |
| Optic Sign | Positive |
| Polariscope Reaction | Aggregate (AGG), Doubly Refractive (DR) |
| Fluorescence |
SWUV: strong blue to bluish white LWUV: inert to weak blue |
| Pleochroism | Dichroic, weak to strong light green and dark green |
| Hardness | 5.5-6 |
| Streak | White To White Green |
| Specific Gravity | 3.220-3.400 Typical:3.290 |
| Toughness | Varies |
| Inclusions | Black needle-like magnetite inclusions that might be magnetic, metallic like inclusions and liquid inclusions. |
| Luster | Vitreous, Resinous |
| Stability | Fair |
| Fracture | Conchoidal, Uneven |
| Cleavage | Good, in two directions |
| Chemical Name | calcium magnesium silicate |
| Chemical Formula | CaMgSi2O6 |
| Crystal System | Monoclinic |
| Chemistry Classification | Silicate |
Black 
White 
Color due to iron. The iron band in the blue is narrow and centered at 450nm. as the vibrations of greener ray are brought in alignment by rotating the polarizing filter. The spectrum is similar to that of chrysoberyl. However, note there is less red seen compared to chrysoberyl.
Color due to iron. In this more yellow ray the absorption in the blue strengthens and the band becomes wider as it's center moves to the long wave side at 460nm. Transmission in the yellow and orange increases
Color due to iron. This greenish yellow variety of diopside shows a strong broad iron band centered at 455nm. Plus general absorption of the red area
Jewelry Television acknowledges the significant scientific contributions of John S Harris, FGA to the study of gemstone spectra and with deep appreciation to him, acknowledges the use of his images and related notes about gemstones and their spectra in the educational materials on this website.
Tashmarine(TM),Shanseres(R), Star Diopside, Cat's-Eye Diopside, Malacolite, Alalite, Violane, Chrome Diopside
Tanzania, United Republic Of; Canada; Afghanistan; Pakistan; United States of America (the); Unknown; Sri Lanka; Namibia; Russian Federation (the); Thailand; India
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The term cat's eye, or chatoyancy, is used to describe a phenomenal optical property in gemstones, in this case diopside. The effect, when present, appears as a bright, narrow slit similar to the pupils in the eyes of your favorite feline. This phenomenon is caused by parallel fibrous or needle-like inclusions that interfere with the passage of light through the crystal, scattering and reflecting light back to the viewer as a thin line.
| Common Name | Cat's Eye |
| Fluorescence | SWUV: Inert LWUV: possibly green |
| Pleochroism | Dichroic, weak to strong light green or yellowish green and dark green |
| Inclusions | Black needle-like magnetite inclusions that might be magnetic, metallic like inclusions and liquid inclusions. |
Star diopside exhibits the optical phenomenon called asterism, a star-like pattern created on the surface of a gemstone when light encounters parallel fibrous, or needle-like, inclusions within its crystal structure. Light that strikes the inclusions within the gem reflects off of the inclusions, creating a narrow band of light. When two or more intersecting bands appear, a star pattern is formed. Depending on the crystal, the star may have four, six, or even twelve rays. When only one band forms, it is classified as a "cat's eye."
| Common Name | Star |
| Refractive Index | 1.675-1.701 Tolerance:(+0.029/-1.701) |
| Fluorescence | SWUV: Inert LWUV: Inert |
| Pleochroism | Unobservable |
| Inclusions | Black needle-like magnetite inclusions that might be magnetic, metallic like inclusions and liquid inclusions. |
This page was created on June 27, 2014.
This page was last edited on October 24, 2019.
