Diopside Photos

Violane has been used for beads and inlay—transparent material is always very tiny. The color of this material is deep violet or blue and is very rare. Catseye material cuts extremely sharp eyes, the best being from Burma. Faceted diopside is not extremely rare, but large (over 15 carats) clean stones are. Colors are usually dark, so a bright and attractive gem is most desirable. Hedenbergite and the intermediate varieties tend always to be opaque except in very thin splinters. Chrome diopside, quite rare in sizes over 3-4 carats, has become available in commercial quantities from the USSR. The color is excellent, with Cr content about 0.5% by weight.