Today I want to talk about chrome diopside. Diopside comes in many colors but the most well-known is the green variety. The mesmerizing deep green of this mineral rivals that of an emerald, in my opinion. It gets the color from the mineral, chromium and the greens vary from light to almost black.
Chrome diopside comes from a region in Eastern Siberia that is known for its impressive diamond deposits. There are other deposits in Pakistan, as well. Russian chrome diopside comes from a really harsh part of Siberia---so harsh that the mines are closed half of the year due to the climate of Siberia. This doesn’t make the stone rare, but it can affect the price of the stone during certain times of the year.
The gem has a hardness of 5-6 on the Mohs scale and should be worn with a bit of caution--don't do hard labor while wearing jewelry made from chrome diopside.
Chrome Diopside can be mistaken for Tsavorite, peridot, and even tourmaline due to the variation of the green color. Diopside can be found all around the world and chrome diopside is often seen as an indicator of diamonds being nearby.
There's a variety of chrome diopside that comes from India and has such a deep green that the stone is black. It also has a white star on the surface--and these are called Star Diopside.

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