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Lepidolite As a Gem Material
Lepidolite as a mineral lacks the hardness and tenacity to be a good gem material. However, it is sometimes impregnated with quartz, and that gives it durability. Lepidolite impregnated with quartz makes an attractive pink to purple gemstone, but what makes these stones even more desirable are the bright flashes that occur when the mica cleavage surfaces reflect light.…
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Uses of Lepidolite
The most important use of lepidolite has been as a minor ore of lithium metal. This use was more important in the first half of the 1900s than it is today. Today most lithium is produced from brine and evaporite deposits in South America, where lithium can be extracted more economically. Small amounts of rubidium sometimes…
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Composition and Properties
Lepidolite has a chemical composition that ranges in a solid solution series from that of polylithionite KLi2Al(Si4O10)(F,OH)2 to that of trilithionite K(Li1.5Al1.5)(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2. This compositional range of lithium mica is known as the lepidolite series. The properties of lepidolite make most specimens easy to identify. If you find a pink to purple mica mineral, it is probably…
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Color In Lepidolite
Most specimens of lepidolite have pink, red or purple as their dominant hue. These are the expected colors of lepidolite. The mineral sometimes has a dark tone, which gives it a grayish appearance. Rare specimens of lepidolite are colorless or yellow. Many people assume that lithium produces the color of lepidolite; however, lithium rarely serves…
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Geologic Occurrence of Lepidolite
Lepidolite can only form in geochemical environments where high concentrations of lithium are available for mineral formation. Lepidolite is a rare mineral because these geochemical situations rarely occur. The lithium ion is very small, and it does not readily substitute in other minerals. As a result, it is usually one of the last ions to…
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What Is Lepidolite?
Lepidolite is the name of a rare lithium-rich mica mineral that is usually pink, red, or purple in color. It is the most common lithium-bearing mineral and serves as a minor ore of lithium metal, with rubidium and cesium sometimes being byproducts. When impregnated with quartz, lepidolite is used as a minor gemstone. Flakes of lepidolite are sometimes responsible for the…