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diopside

Diopside is a calcium-magnesium silicate mineral that belongs to the clinopyroxene group. Its chemical formula is CaMgSi2O6, and it forms a solid solution series with hedenbergite, CaFeSi2O6, in which iron substitutes for magnesium. The endmembers are diopside (CaMgSi2O6) and hedenbergite (CaFeSi2O6); trace substitutions involving other cations can occur, and chromium-bearing samples produce distinctive colors in gemstone varieties.

Diopside crystallizes in the monoclinic system and is characterized by a typical pyroxene structure made of

Geologically, diopside occurs in a variety of environments. It forms in metamorphic rocks produced by calc-silicate

In gemology, the chromium-containing variety known as chrome diopside is used as a green gemstone. It is

single
chains
of
SiO4
tetrahedra.
It
has
two
good
cleavage
directions
in
a
two-directional
system
at
approximately
87
and
93
degrees,
a
vitreous
to
silky
luster,
and
a
hardness
of
about
5.5
to
6
on
the
Mohs
scale.
Its
specific
gravity
generally
ranges
from
about
3.3
to
3.5.
Color
ranges
from
colorless
to
green,
gray,
brown,
or
blue-green,
with
the
green
hue
enhanced
in
chromium-rich
samples.
metasomatism,
notably
contact
metamorphism
and
skarns,
and
is
common
in
calcium-
and
magnesium-rich
igneous
rocks
such
as
diorites
and
gabbros.
It
also
appears
in
ultramafic
and
carbonate-associated
metamorphic
settings
and
in
some
alkaline
rocks.
The
mineral
commonly
appears
alongside
other
pyroxenes
and
calcium-rich
minerals
in
these
rocks.
sourced
from
regions
including
Siberia
and
Pakistan,
and
may
be
heat-treated
to
enhance
color.
Diopside
thus
serves
both
as
a
mineralogical
indicator
in
geology
and
as
a
component
in
jewelry.