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Spodumene

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Konar Valley (Kunar Valley), Konar (Kunar; Konarh; Konarha; Nuristan) Province, Afghanistan
© fabreminerals.com

Show Spodumene Photos (103)
Formula:
LiAl[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
System:MonoclinicColour:Colourless, yellow, ...
Lustre:Vitreous, DullHardness:6½ - 7
Name:From Greek "spodoumenos", reduced to ashes, alluding to the grayish white mass that is formed when the mineral is ignited.


Pyroxene Group - Clinopyroxene Subgroup.

Spodumene is worked as an ore of lithium, but it is most highly prized as a gem material - the varieties Kunzite (pink) and Hiddenite (green) are especially sought after. It is usually found as a constituent of lithium-rich pegmatites.

Classification of Spodumene

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:8/F.01-120
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:9.DA.30

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
A : Inosilicates with 2-periodic single chains, Si2O6; pyroxene family
Dana 8th edition ID:65.1.4.1

65 : INOSILICATES Single-Width,Unbranched Chains,(W=1)
1 : Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1 with chains P=2
Hey's CIM Ref.:16.1.2

16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
1 : Aluminosilicates of Li
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Type Occurrence of Spodumene

Type Locality:Utö Island, Haninge, Södermanland, Sweden
Year of Discovery:1800

Physical Properties of Spodumene

Lustre:Vitreous, Dull
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Colourless, yellow, light green, emerald-green, pink to violet, purple, white, gray
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):6½ - 7
Cleavage:Perfect
Density (measured):3.1 - 3.2 g/cm3

Crystallography of Spodumene

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Cell Parameters:a = 9.46Å, b = 8.39Å, c = 5.22Å
β = 110.17°
Ratio:a:b:c = 1.128 : 1 : 0.622
Unit Cell Volume:V 388.90 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Crystal Atlas:
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Spodumene no.6 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

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X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Spodumene

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.648 - 1.661 nβ = 1.655 - 1.670 nγ = 1.662 - 1.679
2V:Measured: 54° to 69°, Calculated: 88°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.014 - 0.018

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Moderate
Dispersion:weak

Chemical Properties of Spodumene

Formula:
LiAl[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
Essential elements:Al, Li, O, Si
All elements listed in formula:Al, Li, O, Si
Common Impurities:Fe,Mn,Mg,Ca,Na,K,H2O

Relationship of Spodumene to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
9.DA.05Donpeacorite
(Mn
2+
 
,Mg)Mg[SiO
 
3
]
 
2
9.DA.05Enstatite
Mg
 
2
[SiO
 
3
]
 
2
9.DA.05Ferrosilite
Fe
 
2
[SiO
 
3
]
 
2
9.DA.05Akimotoite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)SiO
 
3
9.DA.10Clinoenstatite
Mg
 
2
[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.10Clinoferrosilite
Fe
2+
 
(Fe
2+
 
,Mg)[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.10Kanoite
Mn
2+
 
(Mg,Mn
2+
 
)[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.10Pigeonite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
,Ca)(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.15Augite
(Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe
2+
 
,Al,Fe
3+
 
,Ti)[(Si,Al)
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.15Diopside
CaMg[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.15Esseneite
CaFe
3+
 
[AlSiO
 
6
]
9.DA.15Hedenbergite
CaFe
2+
 
[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.15Johannsenite
CaMn
2+
 
[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.15Petedunnite
Ca(Zn,Mn
2+
 
,Mg,Fe
2+
 
)[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.20Aegirine-augite
(Na,Ca)(Fe,Fe,Mg,Al)Si
 
2
O
 
6
9.DA.20Omphacite
(Ca,Na)(Mg,Al)[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.25Aegirine
NaFe
3+
 
[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.25Jadeite
Na(Al,Fe
3+
 
)[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.25Jervisite
(Na,Ca,Fe
2+
 
)(Sc,Mg,Fe
2+
 
)[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.25Kosmochlor
NaCr[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.25Namansilite
NaMn
3+
 
[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
9.DA.25Natalyite
Na(V
3+
 
,Cr)[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
16.1.1Petalite
LiAlSi
 
4
O
 
10
16.1.3Eucryptite
LiAl[SiO
 
4
]
16.1.4Virgilite
LiAlSi
 
2
O
 
6
16.1.5Cookeite
LiAl
 
4
(Si
 
3
Al)O
 
10
(OH)
 
8
16.1.6Bikitaite
LiAlSi
 
2
O
 
6
·H
 
2
O
16.1.7Lunijianlaite
Li
 
0.7
Al
 
6.2
(Si
 
7
AlO
 
20
)(OH,O)
 
10
16.1.8Swinefordite
Li(Al,Li,Mg)
 
4
(Si,Al)
 
8
O
 
20
,(OH,F)
 
4
·xH
 
2
O
16.1.9Holmquistite
☐[Li
 
2
][Mg
 
3
Al
 
2
][(OH)
 
2
|Si
 
8
O
 
22
]
16.1.13Clinoferroholmquistite
[ ][Li
 
2
][Fe
2+
3
Al
 
2
][(OH)
 
2
|Si
 
8
O
 
22
]
16.1.14Magnesioholmquistite
16.1.15Bityite
CaLiAl
 
2
[(OH)
 
2
|BeAlSi
 
2
O
 
10
]
16.1.16Sogdianite
(K,Na)
 
2
(Li,Fe)
 
3
(Zr,Ti,Fe)Si
 
12
O
 
30
16.1.17Sugilite
KNa
 
2
(Fe,Mn,Al)
 
2
Li
 
3
Si
 
12
O
 
30

Other Names for Spodumene

Synonyms:
Alpha-SpodumeneTriphane
German names:
Spodumen
Japanese names:
リチア輝石
Russian names:
Сподумен
Varieties:
HiddeniteKunzite

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Spodumene

Reference List:Dana, E.S. (1892) Dana's system of mineralogy, 6th edition. New York: 366-369.

Gabriel A. et al. (1942), Economic Geology: 37: 116.

Clark, J.R., D.E. Appleman, and J.J. Papike (1969) Crystal-chemical characterization of clinopyroxenes based on eight new structure refinements. MSA Special Paper 2: 31-50.

Cameron, M., S. Shigeho, C.T. Prewitt & J.J. Papike (1973), High temperature crystal chemistry of acmite, diopside, hedenbergite, jadeite, spodumene and ureyite: American Mineralogist: 58: 594-618.

Deer, W.A., R.A. Howie, and J. Zussman (1978) Rock-forming minerals, 2nd edition, vol. 2A, single-chain silicates: 527-544.

Acta Crystallographica (1999): B: 273.

Arlt, T. and Angel, R. (2000) Displacive phase transitions in C-centered clinopyroxenes: spodumene, LiScSi2O6, and ZnSiO3. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals: 27: 719-731.

Internet Links for Spodumene

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    Localities for Spodumene

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