Diopside with Hessonite

Glassy and transparent to translucent, light green Diopside crystals clustered together and bordered by crude hessonites. All of the elongated crystals are terminated. A more blocky crystal was either limited in growth due to contact or broke in situ.  The Diopside crystals are elongate prisms reaching 2.2 cm in length. A few small chlinochlore crystals embedded in one diopside. They all are translucent with gemmy tips on most. Great size and balance.

Locality: Testa Ciarva, Balma, Ala Valley, Sesia Lanzo Zone, Piedmont, Italy