What is the mineral Diopside and its uses?
get the normal ones with colors! Its fun to have them then and they look good on people these days!
go with the upcoming holiday color
Diopside is a monoclinic pyroxene mineral with composition MgCaSi2O6. It forms complete solid solution series with hedenbergite (FeCaSi2O6) and augite, and partial solid solutions with orthopyroxene and pigeonite. It forms variably colored, but typically dull green crystals in the monoclinic prismatic class. It has two distinct prismatic cleavages at 87 and 93° typical of the pyroxene series. It has a Mohs hardness of six, a Vickers hardness of 7.7 GPa at a load of 0.98 N[4], and a specific gravity of 3.25 to 3.55. It is transparent to translucent with indices of refraction of nα1.663–1.699, nβ1.671–1.705, and nγ1.693–1.728. The optic angle is 58° to 63°. Gemstone quality diopside is found in two forms: the black star diopside and the chrome diopside (which includes chromium, giving it a rich green colour). At 5.5–6.5 on the Mohs scale, chrome diopside is relatively soft to scratch. The Mohs scale of hardness does not measure tensile strength or resistance to fracture. Violane is a manganese-rich variety of diopside, violet to light blue in colour. Diopside based ceramics and glass-ceramics have potential applications in various technological areas. A diopside based glass-ceramic named 'silceram' was produced by scientists from Imperial College, UK during 1980s from blast furnace slag and other waste products. The as produced glass-ceramic is a potential structural material. Similarly, diopside based ceramics and glass-ceramics have potential applications in the field of biomaterials, nuclear waste immobilization and sealing materials in solid oxide fuel cells.
