Kunzite

The color of spodumen can vary from pale pink for the kunzite variety to a deep green for the hiddenite variety, but colorless crystals also exist. The green color of hiddenite is connected with Cr substituting for AP+, while also takes part in optical absorption spectrum formation. The green-yellow color of spodumen is connected with Fe " in the Ml position and Fe " in the M2 position. Pink color of kunzite is connected with Mn " impurities in different structural positions Ml and M2 (Platonov et al. 1984). 

The triboluminescence of minerals has been studied visually (see the footnotes to Table I) but only a few minerals have been examined spectroscopically. There are a few clear examples of noncentric crystals, such as quartz, whose emission is lightning, sometimes with black body radiation. Most of the triboluminescent minerals appear to have activity and color which is dependent on impurities, as is the case for kunzite, fluorite, sphalerite and probably the alkali halides. Table I attempts to distinguish between fracto-luminescence and deformation luminescence, but the distinctions are not clear cut. A detailed analysis of the structural features of triboluminescent and nontriboluminescent minerals may make it possible to draw conclusions about the nature and concentration of trace impurities that are not obvious from the color or geological site of the crystals. Triboluminescence could be used as an additional method for characterizing minerals in the field, using only the standard rock hammer, with the sensitive human eye as a detector. 

Spodumene Hiddenite, kunzite (triphane) LiAl(SiOs)2... 

---