Diopside - Minas Gerais, Brazil

Diopside

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The gem-bearing area of Malacacheta is in the northeastern region of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais and is well known for producing several fine gem minerals. Amongst these is superbly crystallised Diopside, a calcium-magnesium-silicate and this is a terrific and showy example. Emerging vertically from a matrix of mixed colourless Quartz and leaf green Diopside is an elegant, 4.5 cm tall Diopside crystal, varying between opaque and translucent with many included gemmy patches. The prism forms an asymmetric hexagon in cross-section and has a flat, natural pinacoid termination on which smaller Diopside crystals have formed.