Uses of the Mineral Lepidolite ABSTRACT The mineral lepidolite has

This paper is a discussion of the mineral lepidolite. Different aspects of the mineral lepidolite will be discussed here concerning the mineral's symmetry, physical description and distinguishing features, the manner in which the mineral forms and the rocks in which it is found, and important sites in which lepidolite is found. Also to be discussed are lepidolite's scientific importance and economic value, and the origin of the minerals name.

Lepidolite derives its name from the Greek word "lepidos," which means scale. It is called this because of the way in which it occurs in nature, being mostly found in aggregates of small flakes. Lepidolite was also named "scale stone", or "Schuppenstein" by the early German miners. It was from this name that the idea for the Greek word of scale was used to name this mineral (Sinkankas, 1959, p. 501).

Lepidolite is the most common lithium-bearing mineral and occurs usually in pegmatites. Although it is most often found in flakes, it can sometimes be discovered in the form of large tabular crystals. Lepidolite is in the mica group, which in turn belongs to the group of silicates.

The structure and symmetry of lepidolite is, of course, similar to that of a mica. The crystal system is monoclinic, hexagonal and orthorhombic. The space group is C2/m, C2/c or Cm; P3112, P3212, Ccm2l. Z:1 (C2/m, Cm), 2 (C2/c); 3 (P3,12 or P3212); 24 (Ccm2l). The hardness of the mineral

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Harding Mine in southwest Taos County in New Mexico. The two minerals often occur together, as is the case at this New Mexico mine near the Rio Grande River. The muscovite found here was extremely fine-grained. In California, pegmatites containing lepidolites have been excavated for gemstones. In Riverside County, the Anita Mine near Sage contains lepidolites, and also Tourmaline Queen Mountain at Pala, San Diego County. At one time, the Stewart Lithia Mine at Pala produced almost all of the world's lithium ore. Also at this mine could be found a collector's staple item: compact lepidolite shot through with pink tourmaline (Sinkankas, 1959, p. 501). Different occurrences of lepidolite have been found at different locations. Fine compact purple lepidolite has been found at the Stewart mine in Pala, California. Also at the Stewart mine was found coarse, pale blue talc-like lepidolite. Colorless to pale rose lepidolite was found at the Varutrask pegmatite in Sweden. A coarse purple lepidolite was found at the Himalaya mine in Mesa Grande, California. And, a coarsely crystalline purple lepidolite was also found at the Varutrask pegmatite in Sweden. All of these different formations of lepidolites have slightly differing

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