Color range:  pale bluish green or dark blue green,
brownish green or dark blue green. yellowish green
or yellow bluish green

Star Diopside

Diopside has several varieties, including a chromium-rich gem variety called chrome diopside.  Chrome diopside won't win any contests for the most beautiful name.  To most people, it sounds more like a car polish rather than a gemstone.  But don't jump to any conclusions!  Chrome diopside has a beautiful rich green color and an amazingly low price.  It is the most affordable gemstone with a pure rich green color.  There are a few drawbacks.  The chrome diopside is most available in small sizes: in the rare large sizes, the color becomes so rich it is too dark.  But for bright green accent stones, chrome diopside is ideal.

Violan is rare blue variety found in some localities in Italy. There is also a green "cat's eye" variety that contains minute inclusions, probably of rutile, that reflect light in such a way as to produce a lively linear luminescence within the crystal.

Still another variety is quite dark, with included rutile needles aligned so as to produce a 4-rayed star, hence the name star diopside.

Ordinary diopside is typically white or green and can have a nice glassy luster.  While the color of chrome diopside is much brighter, many specimens of ordinary diopside are also cut for gemstones.