Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral that occurs in transparent, gem-quality varieties known as Kunzite (pink/violet) and Hiddenite (green). Collectors should look for its characteristic vertical striations along the prism faces and perfect cleavage that makes it fragile to handle.
Is this spodumene?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch spodumene with a known reference. Spodumene sits at Mohs 6.5-7 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Spodumene leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Spodumene typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, white, gray, yellow, pink, green, violet.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: prismatic, tabular, often vertically striated.
Often confused with
Spodumene vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside spodumene
Minerals reported to co-occur with spodumene. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- LiAlSi₂O₆
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 3.1-3.2 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic, Tabular, Often Vertically Striated
- Cleavage
- Perfect in Two Directions
- Fluorescence
- Orange Under SW UV For Kunzite
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Gemstone, Lithium Source, Collector
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $10-50 per gram for gem rough, $20-200 for specimens
Where rockhounds find spodumene
11 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Brazil
- Afghanistan
- USA
- Pakistan
- Madagascar
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where spodumene typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, microcline, albite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic, tabular, often vertically striated habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in North Carolina, Connecticut, Maine — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify spodumene?+
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How much is spodumene worth?+
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Find spodumene on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
