New Finds:
Specimen-grade Lepidolite Crystals!

This is a second fresh offering, having obtained more of these neat specimens recently:

Frankly I was SHOCKED when I found these were lepidolite...they are unlike anything I have ever seen for the species in color and beauty, reminding me more of top grade South African brucite-on-steroids than of plain old lepidolite. These crystals are actually translucent, and probably could cut some milky gemstones! The color is like nothing I have seen in the species before. We hit this find early and picked through literally a tonne of it with several sources, before what seems to have been a realization by the importers that they sell better as smaller pieces with cumulatively more value....and thus I have not seen many large plates of this quality. There are much larger pieces, to two feet across even, but not with such consistent quality and color, lack of damage, and aesthetic arrangement for the collector. The bigger ones tended to be decorative clunkers, not specimens. For that matter, the quality really spans a large spectrum , in all sizes: we tried to pick only really special pieces, with good color and condition.

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Lep2-01 - Lepidolite - $50 SOLD
Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
miniature, 5.3 x 4.4 x 2.4 cm
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Arranged in rosettes, this amazing, sulfur yellow, lepidolite specimen exhibits nice sculptural form. The rosettes average .7 cm across. Prior to this discovery, this lithium rich mica was only found in pink to purple crystals.


Lep2-02 - Lepidolite - $95 SOLD
Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
small cabinet, 6.4 x 6.1 x 3.9 cm
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This lepidolite specimen not only has rosettes but it also appears to have stalactitic growth, to 3.0 cm in length. The translucence and sulfur yellow color make specimens from this find, serious collectors items.


Lep2-03 - Lepidolite - $125
Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
cabinet, 9.5 x 7.4 x 3.7 cm
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This triangular plate of translucent, yellowish-green, lepidolite, exhibits rosette growth, averaging 1.0 cm across. It is only when the specimen is tilted back and forth that the viewer sees highlights from the foliated lepidolite.


Lep2-04 - Lepidolite - $95
Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
small cabinet, 6.2 x 5.7 x 3.9 cm
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Translucent, sulfur yellow, rosettes of lepidolite, to 1.2 cm across, completely cover this specimen. For a color contrast there is a crust of a drusy, ivory colored, mineral, possibly quartz.


Lep2-06 - Lepidolite - $150 SOLD
Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
cabinet, 12.1 x 10.5 x 5.0 cm
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With sparkling highlights, rosettes of translucent, sulfur yellow, lepidolite, to 1.0 cm across, abound on massive lepidolite and very minor feldspar.


Lep2-07 - Lepidolite - $95 SOLD
Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
small cabinet, 6.9 x 9.0 x 3.5 cm
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If the translucence and sulfur yellow color of this specimen were not enough, there are a couple of frosted, colorless quartz crystals, to 1.75 cm in length, which are emplaced on the lepidolite. The rosettes of lepidolite average around 1.0 cm across. Very nice.


Lep2-08 - Lepidolite - $40
Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
miniature, 5.6 x 4.7 x 3.3 cm
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A crust of translucent, sulfur yellow, lepidolite, with rosettes to .75 cm across, is perched on a matrix of sugary, white feldspar, probably albite.


Lep2-09 - Lepidolite - $40 SOLD
Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
miniature, 5.3 x 3.8 x 3.0 cm
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I like the sculptural quality of this lepidolite specimen. The 1.0 cm across, rosettes of translucent, sulfur yellow crystals display nooks and crannies.


Lep2-12 - Lepidolite - $400
Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
small cabinet, 6.6 x 4.0 x 3.1 cm
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This specimen is similar to no.10, in that the lepidolite appears to have grown as interlocked crystals rather than rosettes. The translucence and bright, golden yellow, color, and large crystal size, to 2.0 cm across, make this a choice specimen.


Lep2-13 - Lepidolite - $300
Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
small cabinet, 8.0 x 6.4 x 3.3 cm
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Large rosettes, to 2.75 cm across, along with translucence and sulfur yellow color, characterize this specimen.


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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com

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