Spodumene

Item Description

Preserved Spodumene specimens (Li-Al-silicate) are amazingly RARE from this North Carolina pegmatite location mined for lithium until the late 1990's (MINDAT). The MINDAT Photo Gallery for the locale features 68 photos, but had NO Spodumene examples until this specimen! Sections of waxy lustre, translucent mint-green Spodumene crystals are embedded on all sides of the feldspar-rich pegmatite matrix. The impressive large segmented crystal in the front is 8.5 cm long. The mine is better known for and represented by photos of phosphates (mainly fluorapatite) and albite. Ex Al Kidwell Collection and acquired in 1975. From the worldwide mineral collection of Albert Lewis Kidwell (January 1, 1919 - August 16, 2008). Al was a well-known mineral collector and research geologist with Carter Oil Company and later Exxon Oil Company in Houston, Texas. The phosphate species Kidwellite was named in his honor in 1974. VERY RARE North Carolina Spodumene from the LCA Mine. A MUST for the species or locality collector.