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www.mineralgallery.co.za Minerals P-T |
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Sugilite |
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Name
Sugilite
Chemistry
KNa2(Fe2+,Mn2+,Al)2Li3Si12O30
Uses
As an ore of manganese and as a decorative stone, it can also be faceted into a gemstone
Color
Different shades purple
Hardness
Specific gravity
2.74
Streak
White
Crystals
Crystals are rare. It forms cubic crystals. It is usually found as a massive form.
Accompanied by:
Manganese, Bustamite, Richterite, Rhodochrosite
Similar to:
Purpurite
Sugilite derived its name from the Japanese specialist Professor Ken-ichi Sugi. Professor Ken-ichi discovered Sugelite in 1944 in Japan.
This is a rare mineral with an interesting color. It only occurs in a few places in the world. Sugilite (also colloquially referred to as Wesselite) has been found as massive, fine grained, dense lenses up to several cubic meters. It is also called Wesselite after the Wessels mine where it was found.
The attractive purple material has been marketed for some time as lapidary material and, if translucent as gem material. Extraordinary hexagonal crystals of Sugilite have been discovered as deep-purple, transparent crystals up to 10 mm, although never in any appreciable quantities, thereby making them highly sought after by collectors.
The Kalahari manganese field is only the second locality where such crystals have been found even though Sugelite is also reported from quebec, India, Italy, New Zealand and the type-locality in Japan. Crude prismatic crystals up to 1 cm were reported from a single cavity in marble at Mont Saint-Hilaire. Recently a one-off discovery of a large, single crystal on matrix was reported from this Canadian locality.
We have several kilograms of massive material as well as microcrystals on matrix. These are real collectors items.