Spodumene

Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminium inosilicate and is a source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, purplish, or lilac kunzite, yellowish-green or emerald-green hiddenite, prismatic crystals, often of great size.

Spodumene was first described in 1800 for an occurrence in the type locality in Utö, Södermanland, Sweden. It discovered by Brazilian naturalist Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva.

The name derived from the Greek spodumenos, meaning “burnt to ashes,” owing to the opaque, ash-grey appearance of material refined for use in industry.