![]() Once the most important source of lithium metal. Gemstones (kunzite, hiddenite, triphane). Prismatic crystals with strong striations parallel to their principal axis. White, gray, colorless, yellow, green, blue, lilac, pink, brown. It is considered a “collector gem” by some gemologists. The perfect cleavage of spodumene makes it a fragile gem for use in rings and any jewelry that might be exposed to abrasion and impact. Pink to purple spodumene is known as kunzite, green spodumene is known as hiddenite, and yellow spodumene is known as triphane. Spodumene is also used as a gemstone, and in that use the color variety names of the mineral are used. Lithium brines discovered in South America and other locations have become a more important source of lithium metal. Throughout most of the 20th century, spodumene was the most important ore of lithium metal. Spodumene has a chemical composition of LiAlSi 2O 6 but small amounts of sodium sometimes substitute for lithium. It is usually associated with other lithium minerals such as lepidolite, eucryptite, and petalite. Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral that is typically found in lithium-rich pegmatites. Specimens and photos by Arkenstone / What is Spodumene? ![]() Clockwise from top left: Purple kunzite from Afghanistan pink kunzite from Afghanistan yellowish green hiddenite from the Adams Hiddenite and Emerald Mine in North Carolina yellow triphane from Afghanistan. ![]() ![]() Pink to purple specimens are known as kunzite, green specimens are known as hiddenite, and yellow specimens are known as triphane. Color Varieties of Gem-Quality Spodumene: Gem-quality spodumene is named according to its color. ![]()
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