Gemstone Spotlight: Chrome Diopside

Jewelry CareGemstone SpotlightJewelry Making
Written By Michelle Pajak-Reynolds
Six strands of rough chrome diopside crystal beads in jewelry designer Michelle Pajak-Reynolds’s workshop. Photo credit: Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

Six strands of rough chrome diopside crystal beads in jewelry designer Michelle Pajak-Reynolds’s workshop. Photo credit: Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

Holding chrome diopside feels like holding a little piece spring. Its green is alive, fresh, and full of growth and renewal. It’s green color is known for speaking straight to the heart chakra, opening compassion, nurturing love, and helping the mind feel sharp and clear.

This stone forms deep underground, and its vivid green comes from tiny traces of chromium. Large stones are rare, and once they get over a couple of carats, the green darkens into almost forest-black. First found in Siberia in 1988, it’s now sourced in a few other spots around the world, always natural and untreated.

Chrome diopside is softer than many gems, so treat it gently. Store it separately and clean it with warm water and a soft brush.

I fell in love with it the first time I worked with it. Its green isn’t emerald or peridot. It’s its own thing, clear and refreshing. My favorite are raw gemstone crystals. There’s something special about untouched pieces. Each one has its own little landscape, a tiny talisman shaped by time.

Some people use it in meditation to spark creativity and optimism. It isn’t tied to a birth month, but zodiac signs Pisces, Gemini, and Virgo often seem drawn to it.

For me, chrome diopside is more than a gem. It’s vibrant green is a reminder that beauty doesn’t need to be complicated.

Work in progress: An 18 karat gold 4-prong setting, in its early stages, sit on jeweler Michelle Pajak-Reynolds’s workbench waiting to be set with a rough chrome diopside gem. Photo credit: Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

Work in progress: An 18 karat gold 4-prong setting, in its early stages, sit on jeweler Michelle Pajak-Reynolds’s workbench waiting to be set with a rough chrome diopside gem. Photo credit: Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

Chrome Diopside Jewelry




Please note, all metaphysical and healing properties listed are collected from a variety of sources and shared for educational, historical and entertainment purposes only. The authors and Michelle Pajak-Reynolds Studios LLC do not guarantee the validity of such statements nor is any of this information meant to treat medical conditions. If you have a medical concern, please consult your medical provider for appropriate treatment options.

Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

The creative journey of Michelle Pajak-Reynolds—from childhood spark to timeless, handcrafted treasures.

“My love story with jewelry began before I was born. My parents met across a jewelry counter—my mother, a jewelry department manager; my father, a police officer working loss prevention in his off-duty hours. That moment of serendipity set everything in motion.

By five, I was working on my first designs in pop-beads and jelly bracelets, completely captivated by Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman—especially those iconic power bracelets and her gleaming tiara. I didn’t want to just wear magic, I wanted to make it. With babysitting money and a fierce sense of purpose, I bought beads and wire from the local craft store and taught myself the fundamentals. That curiosity turned into a calling.

I took my first metalsmithing class in high school and never looked back. I went on to earn a BFA in Jewelry/Metals from Kent State University and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Baldwin-Wallace University—equipping me to build a business rooted in craftsmanship, creativity, and soul.

Since founding my namesake jewelry company in 2001, I’ve focused on creating meaningful, one-of-a-kind designs—each one handcrafted using traditional metalsmithing techniques and ethically sourced materials. My work is intimate and intentional: forged in fire, shaped by hand, and designed to stir something deep within you. Every gemstone, every metal, every story that inspires a collection is carefully chosen, researched, and refined. This is slow jewelry with a purpose: to help you mark what matters most.

My pieces have graced red carpets at the Emmy Awards, runways at New York Fashion Week, and exhibitions around the world—including aboard the United Nations Peace Boat. Collectors, stylists, and editors seek out my work, but what means the most to me is when a client says, “This feels like it was made just for me.”

Because it was.

Jewelry, to me, is personal mythology made tangible. It’s a way of preserving the past, celebrating the present, and passing something meaningful into the future. So when you open your jewelry box, you're not just looking at beautiful objects—you're holding pieces of your life’s story. And maybe, just maybe, you're beginning a new chapter.” - Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

michellepajakreynolds.com
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