Diopside Gem Stone
Diopside, until recently, was known as a mineral rather than as a gemstone. This calcium, magnesium compound occurs naturally in grey, brown and yellow shades of green. The deep green gems we have got in the market are a little too expensive; this one can provide an inexpensive alternative for them if not for the fact that most often, it is too dark (almost black-looking) to be of much interest.
There is this other rarer variety known as the chrome diopside that exhibits a very pleasing bright green to bluish green. These days, the stone is also being discovered in the colorless and violet green varieties. The main sources of diopside are Austria, Brazil, Canada and the Indian subcontinent. This stone is generally hard to find above five carats; the rarer chrome diopside, however, can be easily found it sizes up to four carats.
As is the way with minerals, this stone is pretty soft and can get scratched quite easily and once it is scratched, it loses its electricity and spark quite easily. That is why it can make really good pendants and earrings, but are not advisable to be set into rings and bracelets. So, once again, I need to remind you to wrap the stone in tissue or soft cloth before placing it in the setting and store it in a separate compartment in order to protect it from abrasions.
Also, this stone is often confused by jewelers with tourmalines or beryls, which while holding the same brilliance, are much harder. So, it won’t do you any harm in informing the jeweler about the stone’s identity and requesting him to handle it with special care. Owners of jewelry are anxious of the safety of their possession, and they should be; they have no reason to feel offended if the owner makes extra sure of the stone’s safety.
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