Nova Scotia Minerals: Spodumenespacer

mineral.gif (7439 bytes)

SPODUMENE

LiAlSi2 O6
Lithium Aluminum Silicate
Hiddenite - emerald green
Kunzite - pink, violet, purple
Triphane - colorless, yellow


Brazil Lake Li, Ta, Sn Pegmatite, Yarmouth County
UTM (NAD27)
Zone 20
 Northing 4874957
 Easting 260061
Details:

 Travel northeast from Yarmouth along Highway 340 towards the community of Carleton, Yarmouth County. Approximately 0.5 km south of where the Pleasant Valley Road intersects the highway, turn left (north) onto the gravel Holly Road. Travel northwest along Holly Road for 2.2 km. At that point you will note a skid road leading north from the Holly Road. This skid road was constructed for the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources diamond-drilling of the prospect. The pegmatite outcrops that comprise the prospect are located in the woods on both sides of the Holly Road. The diamond-drill skid road leads north for a couple of hundred metres and ends immediately west of one of the pegmatite outcrops. At a point about halfway between this outcrop and the Holly Road is a second outcrop of pegmatite.

References:
 NSMOD #P13-001
Further Info:

 The Brazil Lake Pegmatite is characterized by the presence of very large spodumene crystals (<60cm), and an accessory mineral assemblage which includes; tourmaline, apatite, cassiterite, wolframite, zircon, columbite/tantalite, epidote and very minor lithiophilite (Li(Mn,Fe)PO4), fillowite, amblygonite/montebrasite and cookeite (Hughes, 1995). Although small, dark green beryl crystals were reported to occur within the pegmatite (Hutchinson, 1982), no beryl was identified by Corey (1995) or Hughes (1995) during their investigations. However, abundant dark green tourmaline crystals do occur and may have been mistaken for beryl.

Other Minerals:
 lithiophilite, erythrite, columbite, feldspar, tantalite, tourmaline, molybdenite, cassiterite, amblygonite, fillowite




 

 Cleavage: perfect in two direction at close to right angles and a parting direction that breaks diagonally transect one of the cleavage angles and is parallel to the typical flattening of the crystals

 Colour: white, colorless, gray, pink, lilac, violet, yellow and green

 Fracture: splintery due to the cleavage and parting

 Hardness: 6.5 - 7

 Luster: vitreous

 Streak: white

 Possible Useage: gemstone, lithium ore

 More Info: Mineral Gallery, Mineralogy Database

back