Spodumene
Posted by: macadmin on 04.22.2020 | Filed under:

Spodumene

Specimen # 103008
Mineral: Spodumene
Location: Paprok, Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan
Size: 6.1 x 1.3 x 0.7 cm
Specimen # 103008
Mineral: Spodumene
Location: Paprok, Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan
Size: 6.1 x 1.3 x 0.7 cm

Description

Detailed Description

This is a sharp, elongated spodumene crystal, primarily light pink/lilac in colour with a faint pale greenish zone near the termination (this is mostly a kunzite, with great colour looking down on the termination). The termination is simple and lustrous, with minor etching features in spots. The prism faces are striated, with good lustre. In excellent condition, no damage. Imperfections in two edges are from the late stages of the crystal’s formation. A nice, well-defined spodumene.

Important Note About Colour Stability: The light green colour in these spodumene crystals fades to colourless upon exposure to daylight. If exposed in direct sun, this will happen relatively quickly. If exposed to indirect daylight indoors, such as in a display cabinet, the green will fade over a longer period of time. If you are planning to keep this specimen fully protected from daylight, the green may be preserved, although it’s anyone’s guess – over a period of months, I have seen no degradation to specimens kept in drawers (with no daylight exposure). If you are planning to have it out in a cabinet, it should be considered a colour-zoned kunzite, from pink to colourless. In general, like many other minerals, the colour in all spodumene is best preserved if it is protected from light.


About these Spodumene Crystals

These spodumene crystals are from a 2017 pocket that produced colour-zoned (lilac/pink – pale green – colourless) crystals, along with some specimens that were purely lilac/pink and some that had no such hues at all. Although spodumene crystals are often etched or poorly defined, this pocket included sharp well-formed crystals and relatively low incidence of etching/dissolution features.


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