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Lepidolite

This page kindly sponsored by Lithium Australia
Polylithionite, etc.

Point of Rocks Quarry, Point of Rocks Mesa, Springer, Colfax Co., New Mexico, USA
Trilithionite

Brown Derby Mine, Quartz Creek Pegmatite District, Gunnison Co., Colorado, USA
Lepidolite, etc.

Himalaya Mine, Gem Hill, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co., California, USA
Polylithionite, etc.

Point of Rocks Quarry, Point of Rocks Mesa, Springer, Colfax Co., New Mexico, USA
Trilithionite

Brown Derby Mine, Quartz Creek Pegmatite District, Gunnison Co., Colorado, USA
Lepidolite, etc.

Himalaya Mine, Gem Hill, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co., California, USA
Polylithionite, etc.

Point of Rocks Quarry, Point of Rocks Mesa, Springer, Colfax Co., New Mexico, USA
Trilithionite

Brown Derby Mine, Quartz Creek Pegmatite District, Gunnison Co., Colorado, USA
System:
Monoclinic
Colour:
Pink, light purple, ...
Lustre:
Sub-Vitreous, Resinous, Greasy, Pearly
Hardness:
2½ - 3½
Member of:
Name:
Named in 1792 by Martin Klaproth from the Greek words lepidos for "scale" and lithos for "stone".
Series Formula:
KLi2Al(Si4O10)(F,OH)2 to K(Li1.5Al1.5)(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2
A series between Polylithionite and Trilithionite

A Li-rich mica in, or close to, the so-called Polylithionite-Trilithionite series.

The original lepidolite came from Rožná pegmatite, Žďár nad Sázavou, Vysočina Region, Moravia (Mähren; Maehren), Czech Republic.

The name is sometimes incorrectly applied to lithian muscovite.


Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Lepidolite.


Classification of Lepidolite

IMA status:
Discredited

Physical Properties of Lepidolite

Lustre:
Sub-Vitreous, Resinous, Greasy, Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Pink, light purple, light rose red, other colors possible but are rare.
Comment:
Ideally colorless, but frequently occurs in manganese-bearing environments
Streak:
white
Hardness (Mohs):
2½ - 3½
Tenacity:
Elastic
Cleavage:
Perfect
{001} perfect
Fracture:
Micaceous
Density:
2.8 - 2.9 g/cm3 (Measured)    2.83 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Comment:
Calculated densities for various polytypes to 3.11

Crystallography of Lepidolite

Crystal System:
Monoclinic
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Occurrences of Lepidolite

Relationship of Lepidolite to other Species

Member of:
Mica Group
Other Members of Group:
AluminoceladoniteK(Mg,Fe2+)Al(Si4O10)(OH)2
Anandite(Ba,K)(Fe2+,Mg)3((Si,Al,Fe)4O10)(S,OH)2
AnniteKFe32+(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
AspidoliteNaMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
BalestraiteKLi2V5+Si4O12
BiotiteA series or subgroup of the Mica Group.
BityiteLiCaAl2(AlBeSi2O10)(OH)2
BoromuscoviteKAl2(BSi3O10)(OH)2
Brammallite(Na,H3O)(Al,Mg,Fe)2((Si,Al)4O10)(OH)2
CeladoniteK(Mg,Fe2+)Fe3+(Si4O10)(OH)2
Chernykhite(Ba,Na)(V3+,Al,Mg)2((Si,Al)4O10)(OH)2
ChromceladoniteK(Mg,Fe2+)(Cr,Al)(Si4O10)(OH)2
ChromphylliteK(Cr,Al)2(AlSi3O10)(OH,F)2
ClintoniteCa(Mg,Al)3(Al3SiO10)(OH)2
EastoniteKMg2Al(Al2Si2O10)(OH)2
EphesiteLiNaAl2(Al2Si2O10)(OH)2
FerroaluminoceladoniteK(Fe2+,Mg)(Al,Fe3+)(Si4O10)(OH)2
FerroceladoniteK(Fe2+,Mg)(Fe3+,Al)(Si4O10)(OH)2
Ferrokinoshitalite(Ba,K)(Fe2+,Mg)3(Al2Si2O10)(OH,F)2
FluoranniteKFe32+(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2
FluorophlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2
Ganterite(Ba,Na,K)(Al,Mg)2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
GarmiteCsLiMg2(Si4O10)F2
Glauconite(K,Na)(Mg,Fe2+,Fe3+)(Fe3+,Al)(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2
HendricksiteK(Zn,Mg,Mn2+)3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
Kinoshitalite(Ba,K)(Mg,Mn2+,Al)3(Al2Si2O10)(OH)2
LuanshiweiiteKLiAl1.5□0.5(Si3.5Al0.5)O10(OH,F)2
ManganiceladoniteKMgMn3+Si4O10(OH)2
MargariteCaAl2(Al2Si2O10)(OH)2
Masutomilite(K,Rb)(Li,Mn3+,Al)3(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2
Montdorite(K,Na)2(Fe2+,Mn2+,Mg)5(Si4O10)2(OH,F)4
MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
NanpingiteCsAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH,F)2
Natro-glauconite(Na,K)(Fe3+,Al,Mg)2((Si,Al)4O10)(OH)2
NorrishiteKLiMn23+(Si4O10)O2
Oxykinoshitalite(Ba,K)(Mg,Ti,Fe3+,Fe2+)3((Si,Al)4O10)(O,OH,F)2
OxyphlogopiteK(Mg,Ti,Fe)3[(Si,Al)4O10](O,F)2
ParagoniteNaAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
PhengiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
PolylithioniteKLi2Al(Si4O10)(F,OH)2
PreiswerkiteNaMg2Al(Al2Si2O10)(OH)2
RoscoeliteK(V3+,Al)2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ShirokshiniteKNaMg2(Si4O10)F2
ShirozuliteK(Mn2+,Mg)3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
SiderophylliteKFe22+Al(Al2Si2O10)(OH)2
SokolovaiteCsLi2Al(Si4O10)F2
Suhailite(NH4)Fe32+(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
TainioliteKLiMg2(Si4O10)F2
TetraferrianniteKFe32+((Fe3+,Al)Si3O10)(OH)2
TetraferriphlogopiteKMg3(Fe3+Si3O10)(OH,F)2
Tobelite(NH4,K)Al2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
TrilithioniteK(Li1.5Al1.5)(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2
UM1988-22-SiO:AlCaFFeHKLiMgKLiMgAl2Si3O10F2
VoloshiniteRb(LiAl1.5□1.5)(Al0.5Si3.5)O10F2
Wonesite(Na,K)(Mg,Fe,Al)6((Al,Si)4O10)2(OH,F)4
YangzhumingiteKMg2.5(Si4O10)F2
ZinnwalditeKLiFe2+Al(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2

Other Names for Lepidolite

Synonyms:

Flower Sugilite

Lavenderine

Lilalite

Lilianthite

Lithia Mica

Lithionglimmer

Lithionite

Name in Other Languages:
Catalan:Lepidolita
Finnish:Lepidoliitti
Galician:Lepidolita
Hungarian:Lepidolit
Italian:Lepidolite
Polish:Lepidolit
Portuguese:Lepidolite
Simplified Chinese:锂云母
Traditional Chinese:鋰雲母
Turkish:Lepidolit
Varieties:

Cs-rich Lepidolite

Purple Jade

Rb-rich Lepidolite

Other Information

Fluorescence in UV light:
Frequently fluoresces medium intensity of creamy white to pale yellow. Sometimes yellow.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:
Ore of lithium, cesium, and rubidium.

Lepidolite in petrology

Common component of (items highlighted in red)

References for Lepidolite

Reference List:
Schaller, Waldemar Theodore (1905) Crystallography of lepidolite: American Journal of Science, 4th. Series: 19: 225-226.

Stevens, Rollin Elbert (1938) New analyses of lepidolites and their interpretation: American Mineralogist: 23: 607-628.

Mineralogical Record (1989) 20: 109.

Rieder et al (1998) Nomenclature of the micas. Canadian Mineralogist: 36: 905-912.

Mineralogical Magazine (1999) 63: 267-279.

Kogure, T. and Bunno, M. (2004) Investigation of polytypes in lepidolite using electron back-scattered diffraction. American Mineralogist: 89: 1680-1684.

Internet Links for Lepidolite

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