Spodumene
Posted by: macadmin on 05.14.2020 | Filed under:

Spodumene

Specimen # 103002
Mineral: Spodumene
Location: Spodumene, Paprok, Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan
Size: 5.0 x 1.8 x 1.7 cm

Description

Detailed Description

This spodumene has the best colour zoning in the lot. Given the colour instability of the greenish colour in this material (see below), this one is best for a collection protected in drawers, away from daylight. The parallel-growth crystals are blocky and the terminations are very sharp. In excellent condition. (Incomplete at the base and some chipping on the back – most of this has some crystallization texture visible under magnification, indicating that this occurred during the final stages of formation.)

Great spodumene, with super terminations.

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.

Browse more Spodumene crystals from Afghanistan


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.

Additional information

Dimensions 17 × 50 × 18 cm

×