Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
monocliniccommonsilicates (inosilicate, pyroxene group)
Spodumene
LiAlSi2O6
The image displays a large, pale greenish-yellow, prismatic spodumene crystal exhibiting distinct striations along its length, embedded in a dark matrix.
Spodumene Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
6.5Crystal System
monoclinicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
perfect on {110} and {110} (two directions at nearly 90 degrees)Fracture
uneven to conchoidalSpecific Gravity
3.1Colors
white, gray, pink, green, yellow, colorlessTransparency
transparent to translucentType Locality
Walnut Hill Pegmatite Prospect, Huntington, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USAMineral Group
silicates (inosilicate, pyroxene group)Uses
lithium ore, gemstone (kunzite, hiddenite), collector specimensAssociated Minerals
quartz, feldspar, mica, beryl, tourmaline, lepidoliteRarity
commonGeological Context
Spodumene typically forms in lithium-rich granitic pegmatites, which are intrusive igneous rocks that cool slowly, allowing for the growth of large crystals. It is a significant ore mineral for lithium.
