Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
monoclinicuncommonSilicates
Lepidolite
K(Li,Al)3(Si,Al)4O10(F,OH)2
This specimen features yellowish, platy lepidolite crystals arranged in dense, rosette-like aggregates, exhibiting a translucent quality. The individual plates are small and tightly packed, creating a textured, botryoidal appearance.
Lepidolite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
2.5Crystal System
monoclinicLuster
pearlyStreak Color
whiteCleavage
perfect basal on {001}Fracture
unevenSpecific Gravity
2.8Colors
yellow, pink, purple, lilac, gray, whiteTransparency
translucentType Locality
Itinga, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, BrazilMineral Group
SilicatesUses
lithium ore, jewelry, collectorAssociated Minerals
quartz, feldspar, tourmaline, spodumene, berylRarity
uncommonGeological Context
Lepidolite is a lithium-rich mica that forms primarily in highly evolved granitic pegmatites and aplites, often as a late-stage hydrothermal mineral. It is a key indicator of lithium mineralization.
