Diopside

specimen number:
2133361

location:
Schwarzenstein Alp, Zillertal, Tyrol, Austria

description:
Collected in 1952, a gemmy green terminated crystal of diopside. Ex collection of Ludwig Furth.

The Schwarzenstein Alp, located in the Zemmgrund of the Zillertal Alps in Tyrol, Austria, is a classic European locality renowned for its superb, gem-quality diopside crystals. Geologically, the site is characterized by the presence of Alpine-type fissures within metamorphic rocks, specifically chlorite schists and amphibolites that underwent high-grade regional metamorphism during the Alpine orogeny. The diopside crystals, often occurring as lustrous, bottle-green transparent prisms, formed from hydrothermal fluids rich in calcium and magnesium that crystallized in open clefts alongside other minerals like clinochlore and epidote. Historically, the area has been a target for mineral seekers, known locally as Strahlers, since the 19th century. There has never been a formal industrial mining operation at the site; instead, it has been worked intermittently by individual collectors and researchers for over 150 years. Due to its high altitude and rugged terrain, the locality is only accessible during the summer months, and it remains a protected area where mineral collecting is strictly regulated by regional alpine laws.

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