Luster is vitreous. Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent. Some crystals can be well formed with trigonal prisms with rhombohedral terminations. Eucryptite can also replace spodumene forming pseudomorphs. Cleavage in poor in three directions.
Fracture is conchoidal.
Streak is white. Prism faces striated lengthwise, index of refraction is 1.55 and some specimens fluoresce pink under UV light. Associated Minerals include quartz , micas , feldspars and spodumene . Notable Occurrences include the type locality of Branchville, Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA as well as Harding Mine, Dixon, New Mexico and Parker Mountain, Stafford, New Hampshire, USA and Bikita, Zimbabwe Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, striations, environment and hardness.