Lepidolite
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Crystal of lepidolite, Brazil
Lepidolite (KLi2Al(Al,Si)3O10(F,OH)2) is a lilac or rose-violet colored phyllosilicate mineral of the mica group that is a secondary source of lithium."Manual of Mineralogy, 20th Ed." by Cornelius Hurlbut and Cornelis Klein. It is associated with other lithium-bearing minerals like spodumene in pegmatite bodies. It is one of the major sources of the rare alkali metals, rubidium and caesium.H. Nechamkin, The Chemistry of the Elements, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1968.
Physical Properties
- Color: violet lombo pale pink to white, sometimes gray or yellow.
- Luster: vitreous to pearly.
- Transparency: transparent to translucent.
- Crystal System: monoclinic; 2/m.
- Crystal Habits: include tabular to prismatic crystals with a prominent pinacoid termination. Lepidolite forms pseudo-hexagonal "books." Also as micaceous or granular masses.
- Cleavage: perfect in one direction perpendicular to the c-axis.
- Fracture: uneven.
- Hardness: 2.5
- Specific Gravity: 2.8+
- Streak: white
Notable Occurrences: Brazil; Ural Mountains, Russia; California.
References
See also: List of minerals
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