spodumene

From Ancient Greek σποδούμενος (spodoúmenos, “burnt to ashes”).

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• IPA^(key): /ˈspɔdjumin/
• Rhymes: -iːn

spodumene (countable and uncountable, plural spodumenes)

1. (mineralogy) The mineral lithium aluminium inosilicate (LiAl(SiO₃)₂), a pyroxene and ore of lithium, sometimes regarded as a gemstone, which may be greenish, yellowish or pinkish in appearance.
   • 1880, George J. Brush; Edward S. Dana, Art. XXIX.—On the Mineral Locality At Branchville, Connecticut: Fourth Paper. Spodumene and the results of its Alteration: The American Journal of Science, 3rd Series, Vol XX, Nos 115—120, page 276:

     The individual characters of the several minerals produced from the change of the spodumene have already been given, and something has been said as to their mutual relations; […] .

   • 1990, Australian Mineralogist, Volume 5, page 21:

     Two coexisting spodumenes occurred in sample A, one with high, the other with low, sodium content.

   • 2000, Mimi Obstler, Out of the Earth, Into the Fire, American Ceramic Society, page 59,

     Spodumene alone was found to be too refractory to produce vitrification at cone 11.

• (pyroxene mineral): α-spodumene, β-spodumene
• (gemstone): hiddenite, kunzite, triphane

• David Barthelmy (1997–2023), “Spodumene”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.
• “spodumene”, in Mindat.org‎, Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2023.

spodumene m (plural spodumeni)

1. (mineralogy) spodumene