An instrument used to measure the optical properties of minerals, particularly their refractive power and crystal characteristics.
From Greek 'diopside' (the mineral) + '-meter' (a device for measuring), combining the specific mineral name with the measuring device suffix.
Scientists invented specific measuring devices for almost every crystal type—a diopsimeter is basically a microscope customized to measure exactly how light bends through diopside, which is super specialized but crucial for identifying unknown rocks.
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