Mineral · Milarite group
Sugilite
KNa2(Fe,Mn,Al)2Li3Si12O30
Sugilite is the purple lithium silicate of the Wessels and N'Chwaning mines in South Africa's Kalahari manganese field, sold massive for cabochons and carving; crystals are tiny and rare. It has been heavily marketed to the metaphysical trade under names like 'luvulite'. Gel-quality translucent purple sugilite is expensive.
| Formula | KNa2(Fe,Mn,Al)2Li3Si12O30 |
|---|---|
| IMA status | approved |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal |
| Mohs hardness | 5.5–6.5 |
| Group | Milarite group |
| Type locality | Iwagi Island, Ehime, Japan |
| Streak | White |
| Specific gravity | 2.75 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Fakes and treatments
Dyed quartzite, purple glass and reconstituted material are sold as sugilite.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Sugilite" (Mineral). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/sugilite. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-sugilite,
title = {Sugilite},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/sugilite}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.