Spodumene

Spodumene can be found in shades of white, pink (Kunzite), green (Hiddenite) and yellow (Triphane). Before it became popular as a gemstone, it was used as one of the most important sources of Lithium, until the discoveries of lithium brines. Spodumene can be found in extremely large crystals, in the Etta Mines, South Dakota, they uncovered a Spodumene crystal that was 42 ft long and almost 5.5 ft across, coming in at almost 90 tons. The name of the crystal comes from the Greek 'spodoumenous' which translates to 'reduced to ashes', in reference to what happens when Spodumene is burnt.