Sugilite

Original Manganoan Sugilite "GEL" Smithsonian Exhibit History

Sugilite (/ˈsuːɡɪlaɪt/ SOO-gi-lyt) is a relatively rare pink to purple cyclosilicate mineral with the complex chemical formula KNa₂(Fe, Mn, Al)₂Li₃Si₁₂O₃₀. Sugilite crystallizes in the hexagonal system with prismatic crystals. The crystals are rarely found and the form is usually massive. It has a Mohs hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 and a specific gravity of 2.75 to 2.80. It is mostly translucent.

Sugilite was first described in 1944 by the Japanese petrologist Ken-ichi Sugi (1901–1948) for an occurrence on Iwagi Islet, Japan, where it is found in an aegirine syenite intrusive stock. It is found in a similar environment at Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. In the Wessels mine in Northern Cape Province of South Africa, sugilite is mined from a strata-bound manganese deposit. It is also reported from Liguria and Tuscany, Italy; New South Wales, Australia and Madhya Pradesh, India.

Note: The mineral is commonly pronounced with a soft "g", as in "ginger". However, as with most minerals, its pronunciation is intended to be the same as the person it is named after; in this case, the Japanese name Sugi has a hard "g", as in "geese".

Purple sugilite on a matrix of baryte crystals, Wessels Mine in Northern Cape Province, South Africa, size: 2.4 x 2.1 x 1.2 cm

See also

• List of minerals
• List of minerals named after people

External links

• R. V. Dietrich