What is "sugilite"

n. (context mineralogy English) A mineral with hexagonal crystals, often pink or purple but can have different colors, potassiumsodium₂(iron²⁺,manganese²⁺,aluminum)₂lithium₃silicon₁₂oxygen₃₀.

Sugilite , also known as lavulite, royal azel, cybeline, and wesselite, is a relatively rare pink to purple cyclosilicate mineral with the complex chemical formula K Na( Fe, Mn, Al) Li Si O. 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".