Magnetization and magnetic susceptibility of kunzite

We have studied the high-field magnetization up to 14.5 T and magnetic susc eptibility in the temperature range 1.6-400 K of three different samples of natural kunzite crystals, being a variety of spodumene (LiAlSi2O6) and con taining transition metal ions. It appears that the total magnetization and susceptibility consist of the paramagnetic contribution following from the temperature-dependent Brillouin- type behavior of magnetic ions and tempera ture-independent diamagnetic contribution of the spodumene matrix which we have found as being equal to -3.5 x 10(-7) emu/g. We have identified the Mn 2+ ions as the dominant ones in the kunzites studied and we have determined the molar concentration of these ions as lying in the range 0.2-0.4%. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.