The purple lithium heat of purple has increased recently, and you may like its spring-like pink color, always having a peach-like light color (just one of its colors), implying that spring is always around.
So have you ever heard of the beautiful and fragile spodumene? As one of Tiffany's top five gemstones, spodumene is not well known compared to the other four gemstones, and its use as a gemstone is not far away.
It was only in 1902 that the pink-purple gemstone was brought into the Tiffany family by a gemologist named George. After entering Tiffany, spodumene was placed high hopes by the brand and launched many classic jewelry works as the center stone.
Bird brooch on the stone
Inlaid with 63.91 carats of hectorite
Purple spodumene pendant necklace
The special pink purple of spodumene shines against the background of broken diamonds and silver jewelry, showing a special charm. The flicker that fire gives it combines with the lightness that color gives it, making it a noble spirit in the night.
Image source: Baidu
The reason why it is "in the dark" is because the color of hectorite is unstable and easy to fade under light or heat conditions. Therefore, spodumene is best worn at dinner parties and shows its elegance at night.
Spodumene: The genie of the pyroxene family
The chemical composition of spodumene is lithium aluminum silicate, which is a pyroxene group mineral. Its name Spogumene is derived from the Greek word and originally meant to be burned to ashes.
Before being used in jewelry, spodumene was the main mineral used to refine lithium and its compounds, as well as a high-grade refractory material. The main production areas are California, North Carolina, Maine, Brazil, Madagascar, China's Xinjiang, Myanmar and Pakistan.
Image source: Baidu
The basic properties of spodumene
The crystals of spodumene are columnar and flattened, and dense longitudinal stripes or erosion can be seen on the surface of the crystals.
Its species is usually divided by color: from colorless transparent to pink purple is called "purple spodumene", which is a famous variety of spodumene. Emerald green or emerald green is called "cremium spodumene". Other colors do not have a separate name, and are all called spodumene.
Different colors of spodumene
Why does spodumene "quietly" fade?
Are you curious about why spodumene fades in light and heat conditions? Because the transition element Mn of the color of hectorite exists in the mixed valence state, that is, the oxidation state of Mn2+ and Mn3+. The higher the concentration of Mn3+, the darker the pink color of spodumene and the more valuable it is.
However, Mn3+ is not stable, and a redox reaction occurs in hectorite, which eventually causes its discoloration. Therefore, spodumene is best used as a "dinner gemstone".
Image source: Baidu
The color of chromium-colored thorumene does not have such troubles, and there is no color change even under similar conditions.
Want to own spodumene: how to choose?
The selection of spodumene mainly depends on the color. The more intense the color, the cleaner the interior of the spodumene, the more precious. Among the various varieties of spodumene, the rich pink and violet color of spodumene is the most precious and the price is higher.
In addition to color, clarity, cut, and weight are also criteria for selecting spodumene. A good cut will make the gem show more intense color on the countertop and show better fire.
Save spodumene please note!
Avoid bumps
Spodumene develops with two sets of complete cleavage, so spodumene is easy to break when bumping occurs, so it needs to be carefully stored.
Avoid sudden changes in temperature and pressure
Spodumene can break under sudden changes in temperature and pressure.
Avoid exposure to the sun
The color of spodumene is beautiful, but it is not stable. As mentioned above: it fades when it is exposed to ultraviolet rays for a long time or when it is heated. So when you're heading to the beach for vacation, don't wear spodumene jewelry!
Use bezel-set and cold-set
In order to save money, many small partners will choose to buy loose stone to inlay themselves. Then you should pay attention to it: when setting, you should choose a bezel setting instead of a prong setting. The prong setting exposes the gem more, making it more vulnerable to external forces and shattering. And use cold setting when setting, and avoid heating and plating to avoid damage to the gemstone.
Jewelry made of hemmatoside is gentle and elegant. After reading the above content, are you excited about spodumene again? If you like this tweet, give Mai Shang a thumbs up!