Sugilite

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title: "Sugilite" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["potassium-minerals", "sodium-minerals", "iron-minerals", "manganese-minerals", "aluminium-minerals", "lithium-minerals", "cyclosilicates", "gemstones", "hexagonal-minerals", "minerals-in-space-group-192", "minerals-described-in-1944"] description: "Violet-colored crystal" topic_path: "general/potassium-minerals" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugilite" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Violet-colored crystal ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox mineral"]

Field	Value
boxbgcolor	#a142d6
boxtextcolor	#fff
name	Sugilite
category	Cyclosilicate
image	Smithsonian Exhibit Stone.jpg
imagesize	260px
caption	16kg Manganoan Sugilite, GIA Laboratory Certified, Smithsonian Exhibition Stone, I.Kurgan Royal Azel, Hall of Gems Smithsonian Museum 1981, Wessels Mine in Northern Cape Province, South Africa
formula	KNa2(Fe,Mn,Al)2Li3Si12O30
IMAsymbol	Sug
strunz	9.CM.05
dana	63.02.01a.09
system	Hexagonal
class	Dihexagonal dipyramidal (6/mmm)
H-M symbol: (6/m 2/m 2/m)
symmetry	P6/mcc
unit cell	a = 10, c = 14 [Å]; Z = 2
color	Light brownish-yellow, purple, violet, reddish violet, pale pink, colorless
habit	Prismatic crystals, typically granular to massive
cleavage	Poor on {0001}
mohs	6–
luster	Vitreous
refractive	nω = 1.610 nε = 1.607
opticalprop	Uniaxial (−)
birefringence	δ = 0.003
pleochroism	Weak
streak	White
gravity	2.74
diaphaneity	Transparent to translucent
references
::

| boxbgcolor= #a142d6 |boxtextcolor = #fff | name = Sugilite | category = Cyclosilicate | image = Smithsonian Exhibit Stone.jpg | imagesize = 260px | caption = 16kg Manganoan Sugilite, GIA Laboratory Certified, Smithsonian Exhibition Stone, I.Kurgan Royal Azel, Hall of Gems Smithsonian Museum 1981, Wessels Mine in Northern Cape Province, South Africa | formula = KNa2(Fe,Mn,Al)2Li3Si12O30 | IMAsymbol = Sug | strunz = 9.CM.05 | dana = 63.02.01a.09 | system = Hexagonal | class = Dihexagonal dipyramidal (6/mmm) H-M symbol: (6/m 2/m 2/m) | symmetry = P6/mcc | unit cell = a = 10, c = 14 [Å]; Z = 2 | color = Light brownish-yellow, purple, violet, reddish violet, pale pink, colorless | habit = Prismatic crystals, typically granular to massive | twinning = | cleavage = Poor on {0001} | fracture = | tenacity = | mohs = 6– | luster = Vitreous | refractive = nω = 1.610 nε = 1.607 | opticalprop = Uniaxial (−) | birefringence = δ = 0.003 | pleochroism = Weak | streak = White | gravity = 2.74 | density = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | diaphaneity = Transparent to translucent | other = | references =

Sugilite ( ) 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 5.5–6.5 and a specific gravity of 2.75–2.80. 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.

Sugilite 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".

The mineral is also referred to as lavulite, luvulite, and royal azel by gem and mineral collectors.

In Japan, sugilite is found as yellowish-white to colourless, and is not good for jewellery.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Sugilite-162617.jpg" caption="Sugilite on Matrix, Wessels Mine in Northern Cape Province, South Africa, size: 2.4 × 2.1 × 1.2 cm"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Owl_in_sugilite_9_cm_high_arp.jpg" caption="Sugilite owl and mouse, height 9 cm (3.5 in)"] ::

References

References

1. Warr, L.N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine.
2. (2014). "Sugilite Mineral Data".
3. "Sugilite".
4. (2005). "Sugilite". Mineral Data Publishing.
5. "OpenLearn Live: 8th September 2015 - Meet The Minerals". The Open University.
6. (15 May 2019). "Understanding Sugilite | Gem-A".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::