This is my fourth contribution to the current Alphabetical Series in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. In the 2021 version of this Series I posted “D is for Dendrites”.
D is for Diopside (with Chromium)
Chromium-bearing Diopside, also known as Chrome-Diopside, is a rich intense green. I found this small stone with a dark green mineral in it on Gemstone Beach on a warm Sunday afternoon in March 2024. There are some interesting white “swirls” in the stone as well. I am very grateful that, when I posted it in this Group, a Nelson member commented that it looked a lot like the Chromium in Diopside in Semi-nephrite he knew from his local region. While Semi-nephrite is said to be present on Gemstone Beach, I suspect this stone is Hydrogrossular Garnet. I featured it in my 2025 Calendar in the month of January. Diopside is a mineral which includes both silica and magnesium as key components, usually with the presence of iron providing a light green hue. If chromium is present, this intense green occurs. One interesting source on Chrome-Diopside is “Exploring Chromium Diopside: Properties and Applications”.
The next entry is “E is for Epidote”. An Index for this Alphabetical Series is here.
Such a gorgeous stunning stone!