Collection: Diopside

Diopside owes its name because of the double aspect of the faces of the prism, in Greek “two” and “aspect”. Green diopside is also known by various names, such as vertelite, imperial diopside or serbelite. Russian green diopside has long been called “Russian emerald” because of its beautiful green color. But mineralogically, this is an error, because diopside does not belong to the beryl family.

In 1800, the Brazilian José Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva (1763 - 1838), naturalist and statesman, mentioned green diopside for the first time. It belongs to the silicate group and contains manganese and calcium.

But it was in 1989 that green diopside was marketed worldwide by Russia after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It seemed to have the same characteristics, namely the brilliance and beauty of green, as emerald at a lower cost.

Russian diopside has a magnificent intense and pure green color, which can sometimes have blue reflections. Just like emerald, this faint shade of blue gives the stone a beautiful depth. This variety owes its colors to the significant presence of chromium.

At the same time, Russian diopside has the particularity of coming from Yakutia, a region located deep in eastern Siberia where the Verkhoyansk Mountains are located. These mountains are renowned for being in the coldest region in the northern hemisphere. In fact, temperatures fell to minus 71.2°C in January 1926.

This region, due to its climatic inhospitability, remains a real obstacle. For information, Yakutia is the region where 99% of Russian diamond production is extracted. Moreover, it should be noted that diopsides are very often present in diamond mines. Thus, they are an important indicator of the presence of diamonds nearby. Sometimes even diopsides are embedded in the diamond.

But this stone has a major flaw: its fragility. In fact, its hardness is between 5.5 and 6.5 on the Mohs scale. It is therefore rather intended for the manufacture of pendants or earrings in order to avoid scratches. Furthermore, large green diopsides have a darker color and move away from the brilliance of emerald. It is therefore preferable to limit yourself to two carat stones.

Other mines have since been discovered, notably in Pakistan, increasing the supply on the market. However, the most beautiful pieces remain those from Russia. But the extreme cold complicates the exploitation of the mines and is thus the cause of the increase in prices each year.

There are not many legends related to green diopside. It is said that in the past, it was customary to think that diopsides had fallen from the tree of life. Then, each deceased person was buried with this stone to allow life to begin again. In other cultures, green diopside was associated with peace and tranquility. So, it was enough to place it on the forehead to ensure sweet dreams during the night.

Diopside also has the nickname “stone of tears”. He is credited with the ability to express his sorrows by shedding purifying tears.

Its main deposits come from the United States, Brazil, South Africa, France, etc.

In Lithotherapy, green diopside is a stone of comfort in the trials of life. This stone allows you to overcome difficulties encountered and make the right decisions when making difficult choices to continue moving forward.

Moreover, green diopside helps manage the impact caused by childhood trauma. He fights old pain and knows how to take advantage of the present time. Thus, it encourages living fully in the moment while leaving the past aside. It drives negative thoughts out of the mind and promotes the practice of positive thinking.

Its radiation acts on all energy centers, unblocks trauma, blockages and pain stored in the psyche. We can say that it is a stone of resilience.

It is also a stone of letting go which provides quality meditation and develops intuition skills. It helps to live in serenity, peace and fullness. Indeed, it provides well-being, love of oneself and others.

During emotional shocks or great pain, this stone offers the capacity for analysis and acceptance to combat the sadness generated. Green diopside provokes compassion, empathy and understanding of others. It improves relationships with those around you.