Diopside with Grossular var. Hessonite Garnet - image 1

Diopside with Grossular var. Hessonite Garnet - image 2

Diopside with Grossular var. Hessonite Garnet - image 4

Diopside with Grossular var. Hessonite Garnet

Unknown Owner

Help improve this recordNo owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.

This is a beautifully composed and very colorful classic combination specimen from the Alpine valleys of Italy, featuring diopside on gemmy garnets. This miniature consists of a glassy and transparent to translucent, green Diopside cluster that serves as a backdrop for dozens of gem, cinnamon-hued Hessonite Garnet crystals in the foreground. The Diopside crystals are elongate, lightly striated prisms up to 3 cm with gemmy areas and gem tips on most. The Hessonites are perfect and bright trapezohedrons with a rich red-brown cinnamon color and provide great diversity and contrast to the green Diopside. There are even several small (4 to 8mm) gem Diopside crystals both as a small spray in the front of the piece and as a doubly terminated crystal lying crosswise on several Garnet crystals. Who would have thought that two common rock forming minerals could combine in a pocket to produce this elegant and vibrant specimen?! In excellent condition with only one Diopside crystal on the periphery compromised by wear. Surely an old specimen. Seldom seen with such aesthetics as a miniature! Note that this looks superb from any angle, all around!