Spodumene
Spodumene is a lithium aluminum silicate (8.0% Li2O, 27.4% Al2O3, 64.6%SiO2) and is the world's most common commercially mined lithium ore mineral. Petalite, lepidolite and amblygonite are also mined in different parts of the world. Spodumene is a pegmatite mineral that has a glassy lustre and may be opaque; it is nearly white in the low-iron variety and dark green in iron-rich crystals. The transparent variety can be colourless, pink, yellow or green. Good quality clear crystals are used as gems. These include lilac-pink kunzite, coloured by manganese, and yellowish-green or emerald green hiddenite, coloured by chromium and iron.