Petrographic and mineralogical features of amblygonite- and spodumene-carrying granites

Granites carrying amblygonite and spodumene are characterized by 1) little if any, biotite; 2) strong alteration of rock-forming minerals; 3) development of potash feldspar over plagioclase in amblygonite granites; 4) development of plagioclase over potash feldspar + an epidote-garnet accessory mineral association in spodumene granite; 5) concentration of rubidium in amblygonite granites rich in potash feldspar. Amplygonite granite is most typical of greisenized granites and spodumene, of albitized granites. Chemically spodumene granites are of sodium type (Na/K>1), the amblygonite varieties are of potassium type (Na/K<1), and accessory epidote and tourmaline of spodumene and amblygonite granites are richer in lithium than those in common granites. Fluorine in the greisenizing solutions promoted transfer and deposition of lithium as amblygonite. Altered leucocratic granites are most likely to contain lithium minerals. The criterion for lithium presence is its higher content in pneumatolytic and hydrothermal minerals, tourmaline and epidote. — R.M. Hutchinson