Mineral(s): Diopside/Garnet (var. chrome grossular) Location: Orford Nickel Mine, Orford, Quebec Size: 9.5 cm x 5.5 cm x 6 cm Description: A unique, hard to find specimen of diopside crystals with bright emerald-green chrome-bearing grossular garnet from a famous closed location. This specimen is comprised of multiple, intertwined diopside crystals (some terminated). Some of the larger crystals on the specimen are “curved” and some exceed 2 cm in length. The diopside crystals are very delicate and purchased specimens can only be picked up from our booth at the Bancroft Gemboree in August or the Scarborough show in September (packaging and shipping is not possible). The Orford Nickel Mine, located near Orford in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, is best known among collectors for the attractive diopside specimens found in its skarn‑altered host rocks. Although the mine’s primary purpose was nickel extraction, the contact‑metamorphic environment produced striking diopside crystals. These diopside specimens are typically a soft golden-yellow, beige, or pale green to gemmy prismatic green, translucent, and display sharp prismatic habits that make them desirable cabinet specimens. Collectors value Orford specimens not only for their color and crystal form, but also because the locality is long inactive, making existing pieces increasingly scarce and historically significant within Canadian mineral collecting.
