Lepidolite

Mineral formula: KLi₂Al(Si₄O₁₀)(F,OH)₂ to K(Li_1.5Al_1.5)(AlSi₃O₁₀)(F,OH)₂

Mineral group: member of the Mica (trioctahedral) group

Crystal system: monoclinic

Crystal habit: massive, fine-grained to prismatic pseudohexagonal crystals

Cleavage: perfect on {001}

Fracture: micaceous

Color: pink, light purple, light rose red

Luster: sub-vitreous, resinous

Diaphaneity: transparent, translucent

Moh’s scale hardness: 2 ½ - 3 ½

Streak: white

Specific gravity: 2.8 – 2.9

Named after: the Greek words lepidos for "scale" and lithos for "stone" by Martin Klaproth in 1792.

Type locality: Rožná pegmatite, Žďár nad Sázavou, Vysočina Region, Moravia (Mähren; Maehren), Czech Republic.

Geological occurrence: May be found in aplites associated with granite pegmatite. rarely found in hydrothermal veins and extremely rarely in granite contact zones.