Spodumene Mineral Data

Spodumene Mineral Data +

[On-Line Catalogue] [On-Line Auctions] [eBay] [Contact Us] [Policies]
We specialize in fine European and Asian Mineral Specimens
Heliodor is based in Prague, Czech Republic

General Spodumene Information

Chemical Formula:

LiAlSi2O6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 186.09 gm

Lithium 3.73 % Li 8.03 % Li₂O

Aluminum 14.50 % Al 27.40 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 30.18 % Si 64.58 % SiO₂

Oxygen 51.59 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

LiAl(Si₂O₆)

Environment:

Lithium-bearing granitic pegmatites.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1800

Locality:

Pala district, San Diego Co., California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Spodumene is from the Greek, spodoumenos, "burnt to ash," alluding to the ashy color of early specimens. Kunzite is named after the American gem expert, G. F. Kunz (1856-1932). Hi ddenite is named after the American mi

Synonym:

Hiddenite - emerald green

ICSD 30521

Kunzite - pink, violet, purple

PDF 33-786

Triphane - colorless, yellow

Spodumene Image

Images:

Spodumene

Comments: Stacked crystals of Spodumene (Var. Kunzite).
Location: Galileia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: Crystal size 7 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy

Spodumene Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.1442:1:0.631

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.52, b = 8.32, c = 5.25, Z = 4; beta = 110.3333° V = 389.92 Den(Calc)= 3.17

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/c

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.921(1), 2.793(0.9), 4.205(0.75),

Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Forms: [ 1 0 0] [ 1 0 0] [ 1 1 0] [ 0 1 1]

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Cameron M , Sueno S , Prewitt C T , Papike J J , American Mineralogist , 58 (1973) p.594-618, High-temperature crystal chemistry of acmite, diopside, hedenbergite, jadeite,, spodumene, and ureyite, T = 24 C, pyroxene

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Spodumene
[1] [10] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Physical Properties of Spodumene

Cleavage:

[110] Perfect, [100] Good

Color:

Grayish white, Pink, Violet, Emerald green, Yellow.

Density:

3.1 - 3.2, Average = 3.15

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Splintery - Thin, elongated fractures produced by intersecting good cleavages or partings (e.g. hornblende).

Habit:

Bladed - Aggregates of thin lath-like crystals (e.g. kyanite).

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Hardness:

6.5-7 - Pyrite-Quartz

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Spodumene

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.025 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.031 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.209,KPDmeas= 0.2103,KC= 0.2157

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.648-1.661, b=1.655-1.67, g=1.662-1.679, bire=0.0140-0.0180, 2V(Calc)=88, 2V(Meas)=54-69. Dispersion weak, r < v.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless, colorless, or colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

violet pink, emerald green, or yellow.

Pleochroism (z):

purple pink, bluish green, or greenish yellow.

Calculated Properties of Spodumene

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.11 gm/cc
note: r_Spodumene=3.15 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.01714
Boson Index = 0.98286

Photoelectric:

PE_Spodumene= 1.61 barns/electron
U=PE_Spodumene x r_electron= 5.02 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Spodumene is Not Radioactive

Spodumene Classification

Dana Class:

65.1.4.1 (65)Inosilicate Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1

(65.1)with chains P=2

(65.1.4)Li pyroxenes

65.1.4.1 Spodumene LiAlSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

VIII/F.01-120 VIII - Silicates

VIII/F - Inosilicates (chain and band) double chains [Si2O6]4-

VIII/F.01 - Pyroxene group, Clinopyroxene

VIII/F.01-10 Clinoenstatite Mg2Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-20 Clinoferrosilite (Fe,Mg)2Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-30 Kanoite (Mn,Mg)2Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-40 Pigeonite (Mg,Fe,Ca)(Mg,Fe)Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-50 Diopside CaMgSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-60 Hedenbergite CaFeSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-70 Johannsenite CaMnSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-80 Petedunnite Ca(Zn,Mn,Fe,Mg)Si2O6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-90 Augite (Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe,Al,Ti)(Si,Al)2O6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-100 Omphacite (Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe,Al)Si2O6 P 2/n 2/m

VIII/F.01-110 Esseneite CaFeAlSiO6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-120 Spodumene LiAlSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-130 Jadeite Na(Al,Fe)Si2O6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-140 Aegirine NaFeSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-145 Namansilite NaMn(Si2O6) C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-150 Jervisite (Na,Ca,Fe)(Sc,Mg,Fe)Si2O6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-160 Natalyite Na(V,Cr)Si2O6 C 2/c 2/m

VIII/F.01-170 Kosmochlor NaCrSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

Other Spodumene Information

References:

NAME( Sinkankas66) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)

Search for Spodumene using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Scirus] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Spodumene :

AA Mineral Specimens

B & L Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Auctions

John Betts Fine Minerals

Mason's Minerals

Mineral News

Mineral of the Month Club

MineralsWeb Fine Minerals

The GeoZone

Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Spodumene Mineral Data :

Ask about Spodumene here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Spodumene Specimen Label here :

Spodumene

LiAlSi2O6
Dana No: 65.1.4.1 Strunz No: VIII/F.01-120
Locality:

Notes: