A Geoscience Digital Image Library
A Geoscience Digital Image Library
| Title | Diopside |
|---|---|
| Description | Diopside is a calcium magnesium silicate. Diopside is an important rock forming mineral in several metamorphic and basic to ultra basic igneous rocks, also found in meteorites. Diopside is a part of an important solid solution series of the pyroxene group. Diopside is the magnesium rich end member of the series. Diopside has several varieties, including a chromium-rich gem variety called chrome diopside, violan is a rare blue variety found in some localities in Italy. There is also a green “cat's eye” variety that contains minute inclusions, probably of rutile, that reflect light in such a way as to produce a lively linear luminscence within the crystal. Still another variety is quite dark, with included rutile needles aligned so as to produce a 4-rayed star, hence the name star diopside. Diopside's chemical formula is CaMgSi2O6. It's name comes from the Greek dis meaning “two kinds” and opsis meaning “opinion”. |
| Location | Canada ▹ Ontario. Near Port Arthur. |
| Photographer | Shannon Heinle. 2001-04-24. |
| Collection | University of North Dakota Mineralogy Collection #1343. |
| Key words | diopside, silicate |
| Tech details | 676 KB. Hand specimen. Fujifilm FinePix S1Pro digital camera; 60mm AF Nikon micro lens. |
| GeoDIL number | 395 |
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