Spodumene

Spodumene is a <a href="/facts/Pyroxene/hWMTLF9o">pyroxene</a> <a href="/facts/Mineral/LkUFbNmv">mineral</a> consisting of <a href="/facts/Lithium/7vXX6BWA">lithium</a> <a href="/facts/Aluminium/7wmR8jYE">aluminium</a> <a href="/facts/Silicate_minerals/WclrQW2I">inosilicate</a>, <a href="/facts/Lithium/7vXX6BWA">Li</a><a href="/facts/Aluminum/7wmR8jYE">Al</a>(<a href="/facts/Silicon/cgWx0hdr">Si</a><a href="/facts/Oxygen/acyn6o8r">O</a>3)2, and is a commercially important source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, purplish, or lilac kunzite (see below), yellowish-green or emerald-green <a href="/facts/Hiddenite/UpFsca6L">hiddenite</a>, prismatic crystals, often of great size. Single crystals of 14.3 m (47 ft) in size are reported from the <a href="/facts/Black_Hills/DQzybXIX">Black Hills</a> of <a href="/facts/South_Dakota/R51Fbf1t">South Dakota</a>, United States.
The naturally occurring low-temperature form α-spodumene is in the <a href="/facts/Monoclinic/5PCwXvzX">monoclinic</a> system, and the high-temperature β-spodumene crystallizes in the <a href="/facts/Tetragonal/12Aop255">tetragonal</a> system. α-Spodumene converts to β-spodumene at temperatures above 900 °C. Crystals are typically heavily striated parallel to the principal axis. Crystal faces are often etched and pitted with triangular markings.[not verified in body]

Spodumene open-in-new

Spodumene