Violane

Hailing from Khakassia (Pronounced: Hak-kas-ee-a) in Russia’s remote Eastern-Siberian Region, Violane is named for its beautiful blend of the hues seen in our Earth’s wide blue yonder. The rarest member of the Diopside family, Violane is extremely geologically scarce, and accordingly, hardly ever seen in the international gemstone marketplace.

Hardness 5 – 6
Refractive Index 1.668 – 1.703
Relative Density 3.22 – 3.40
Enhancement None

Beauty

Violane is a colorful mottled fusion of heavenly hues; sky and swiss azures, divine violets, and ethereal whites, with a sparkly, silky luster.

Optimally cut ‘en cabochon’ (cut in convex form and highly polished, but not faceted) to accentuate its signature cocktail of colors and mottling, Violane easily accepts a bright polish. Expertly finished with an excellent proportion and shape, our Violane displays striking colors and a superior luster.

Colored by large amounts of manganese, Violane (also Violan) is a rarely-seen variety of Diopside first discovered at the Prabornaz Mine at Saint Marcel in Italy’s Aosta Valley. The original name is Violan, coined in 1838 by August Breithaupt for its color. However, in 1867 Thomas Allison Readwin in ‘Index to Mineralogy’, misspelled the name with an ‘e’ at the end. Today, both spellings are used. Translucent to opaque, its colors include mottled blends of gray, lilac, purple, sky blue, swiss blue, violet, and white, in various combinations, saturations, and tones. Formed during the contact metamorphism of Dolomite or Limestone, Violane has a granular texture similar to marble. Named in 1800, Diopside derives its name from the Greek ‘di’ (two or double) and ‘opsis’ (appearance or view) in reference to its double refractivity/pleochroism. Other Diopside gemstones include, Cat’s Eye Diopside, Russian (Chrome) Diopside, Star Diopside, and Tashmarine®. Now firmly a jewelry gemstone, Diopside was previously prized for its valuable mineral specimens. While Diopside is known as the ‘crying gemstone’ (ostensibly because of a purported ability to heal trauma by bringing forth cleansing tears), there is little historical information regarding this gemstone.

Rarity

While discovered in Italy’s Aosta Valley, Violane is also found in Germany, Greece, Russia, and the USA. Our Violane hails from deposits near the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam in the Republic of Khakassia, a Federal Subject located in Russia’s Eastern-Siberian Region.

Importantly, Violane is also totally natural and unenhanced, further accentuating the desirability and rarity, of an already incredibly scarce gemstone.

Durability & Care

An exotic jewelry gemstone, Violane (Mohs’ Hardness: 5 – 6) should always be stored carefully to avoid scuffs and scratches. Clean with gentle soap and lukewarm water, scrubbing behind the gem with a very soft toothbrush as necessary. After cleaning, pat dry with a soft towel or chamois cloth.

Map Location

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