Mineral · Pyroxene group
Diopside
CaMgSi2O6
Diopside is the calcium magnesium pyroxene, forming green prismatic crystals in skarns and marbles at Merelani (Tanzania), the Alps (Ala Valley), Pakistan and Baffin Island, and chrome-green gem diopside in Yakutia. It is Italy's and Pakistan's collector pyroxene. Square cross-section and two cleavages at nearly 90° mark it as a pyroxene.
| Formula | CaMgSi2O6 |
|---|---|
| IMA status | grandfathered |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Mohs hardness | 5.5–6.5 |
| Group | Pyroxene group |
| Type locality | Piedmont, Italy |
| Streak | White |
| Specific gravity | 3.3 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Diopside" (Mineral). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/minerals/diopside. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-diopside,
title = {Diopside},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/minerals/diopside}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.