Elbaite Lepidolite 1 Piece Raw Minerals Stones Rocks Collecting (1)

Description

Origin : Stewart Mine - San Diego, California (USA)

Size : 5 gr - mm 30 x 16 x 6

Elbaite with Lepidolite 1 Piece 5 gr - mm 30 x 16 x 6 Raw Minerals Stones Rocks for Collection, only a piece, as in photos.

Elbaite is a Sodium, Lithium and Aluminum borosilicate, a mineral from the Tourmaline group. Originally discovered on the island of Elba, Italy, in 1913, it has since been found in many parts of the world. In 1994 it was discovered in Canada in the Yukon.
Elbaite is formed in igneous and metamorphic rocks and veins in association with lepidolite, microcline and spodumene in granite pegmatites; with andalusite and biotite in shale; and with molybdenite and cassiterite in massive hydrothermal replacement deposits.
Elbaite is allochromatic, which means that traces of impurities can color the crystals with any color of the rainbow.

The term Lepidolite derives from the Greek lepidos and lythos, which mean respectively: scale and stone. Lepidolite occurs in spheres made of crystalline flakes and rare tabular crystals or in white, pink or lilac hexagonal-contoured lamellae. Lamellar aggregates are frequent. It is soft and light, perfectly flaky in flexible and elastic lamellas, translucent with a pearly sheen. Easily melts, coloring the flame crimson for the presence of lithium, into an opaque white glass. It is insoluble to acids.
It is formed in lithiniferous pegmatites and in the geodes of some greisen, associated with spodumene, ambligonite, tourmaline and other minerals. It was invented in Australia, USA, Russia, Moravia and Sweden. In Italy, small crystals were found in San Piero in Campo on the Island of Elba.
Despite its rarity, this mineral is the main source of lithium.