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Mineral Specimens with Lepidolite
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17.3 x 10.1 x 7.0 cm. A superb lepidolite specimen by worldwide standards, with rich metallic blades of a lavender color, to 4 cm. These are well-developed crystals...the species is usually just rock matrix to better species, but here it is the focus. This is in particular a fine piece for San Diego County, not just good for the species, and just off the charts in style for this particular mine. I am told it was a very small find found by Phil Osborn in the 1970s. This is the larger of two pieces Larson was able to acquire. Ex. William Larson and Chris Korpi Collections.
4.7 x 3.8 x 3.6 cm. A classic dark green crystal from this mine, with unusual little lepidolite crystals atop. This crystal is very dark, as they all are generally, but has a nice surface sheen and despite its thickness a clear green color when backlit very strongly. Weighs 98 grams. Ex. William Larson Collection.
8.1 x 5.0 x 2.2 cm. A most unusual, isolated, textbook lepidolite crystal perched in a single complete floater crystal of feldspar. Bizarre termination, and a nice color and symmetry contrast make this a fine and unusual piece in any Himalaya collection. Ex. William Larson Collection.
11.4 x 9.1 x 8.7 cm. A large, robust, equant indicolite crystal is starting to alter to multicolored lepidolite here, caught in the act. I have seen fully pseudomorphed crystals from here occasionally, but small and ugly things in general. This one is really very fine. Ex. Chuck Houser Collection.
10 x 8 x 7 cm. A really fine and attractive lepidolite crystal cluster from anywhere, but especially from San Diego County. This is not just an aside or an association of muscovite here, but rather the new species boromuscovite is present in abundance here as the white earthy stuff. It's a nice example, very rich. The large Lepidolite crystals in middle are 5 cm wide, and have a beautiful metallic lustre, almost a lavender color to them. These specimens came out of one pocket in the 1976 "New Spaulding pocket" and were extensively studied by Gene Foord, for their unusual chemistry. Recently, this muscovite variant has been formally accepted as a new species (thanks to Dr. Robert Lauf for clarifying this for me). Ex. Chuck Houser and Chris Korpi Collections.
4.0 x 2.0 x 2.0 cm. A beautiful, gemmy, and lustrous polychrome tourmaline from the Himalaya Mine. The classic, well-striated crystal has the pleasing, vivid, "Himalaya pink" body. The base is hues of green, and the modified, pinacoidal termination is either colorless or very light gray. The little, 6 mm, lavender lepidolite crystal on the side is a nice accent to this fine older piece that probably dates to the 1960s or 1970s. Complete-all-around and essentially pristine. Ex. Robert Whitmore Collection # 44. Weighs 30 grams.
4.1 x 1.2 x 1.2 cm. A classic and fine polychrome tourmaline from recent finds at the Pederneira Mine. This gemmy and lustrous crystal grades upward from cranberry-red at the base to pleasing pink to near colorless to teal-blue to green at the strangely etched, steep, three-sided, pyramidal termination. The lavender lepidolites and little sidecar crystal at the base are nice accents. Complete-all-around and nearly pristine.
4.5 x 4.5 x 4.5 cm. A thick layer of lepidolite has replaced tourmaline, and it still surrounds a core of a previous generation of dark green tourmaline. A nice example of this replacement. Ex. Irv Brown Collection.
7.3 x 3.4 x 2.5 cm. A very colorful cluster of lustrous, multihued, purple-capped, gemmy tourmaline draped by sparkling lavender lepidolite which really makes the piece by its accent and contrast. This is a gorgeous specimen, one of the few smaller tourmalines that Gene has long been reluctant to part with even though his tourmaline collection has long since moved to 6-inchers and longer crystals. This is an older specimen, probably from the 1970s or early 1980s; and is not from recent finds since the recent re-opening of this mine for specimen production. Ex. Dr. Eugene Meieran Collection.
A gemmy and lustrous bi-colored Himalaya tourmaline that grades from green to cranberry-colored at the pyramidal termination. A couple of purple lepidolite clusters at the base add character. One termination face and part of another face are etched. Backlighting highlights the beautiful color variations. Classic and pristine Himalaya material. 4.5 x 2.8 x 2.6 cm
5.1 x 2.8 x 2.4 cm. An aesthetic combination watermelon tourmaline from recent finds at the famous Pederneira Mine. Three-quarters of the gemmy and lustrous green crystal has a cranberry-red core. A pretty teal-blue zone follows and the lustrous termination is a nice emerald-green. The two "snowflakes" of glassy cleavelandite blades and the rich peppering of lavender lepidolite are fine accents. Very highly representative material from this noted locale.
8.5 x 6.0 x 3.9 cm. A sparkling, very lustrous quartz crystal is host to a few intense yellow lepidolites here. The quartz is doubly terminated and is complexly terminated by parallel growth tips, hence the nickname for this style in Brazil of "cathedral quartz". Weighs 188 grams.
4.8 x 4.5 x 2.7 cm. A green tourmaline of classic style for this mine, from which a large production came out about 5 years ago and recently, not much at all. The crystal is embedded in a mass of crystallized lepidolite. Moreover, it seems to be altering to lepidolite.
15.9 x 7.0 x 4.6 cm. A 3.2-cm-long indicolite blue tourmaline is perched atop an elongated, sharply terminated quartz point. The tourmaline is terminated atop, though broken off on its bottom end. Sparkling purple lepidolite decorates the lower half the of the quartz (which is nearly a floater). Weighs 456 grams.
3.8 x 3.7 x 2.8 cm. An interesting and older combination specimen from the Himalaya Mine and the Robert Whitmore Collection. A gemmy and lustrous, well-striated, multi-hued green tourmaline crystal is very aesthetically accompanied by an angled, doubly terminated quartz crystal and a lavender lepidolite book. The tourmaline is doubly terminated. This classic Himalaya piece dates to the 1950 or 1960s.
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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share specimen![Lepidolite from Little Three Mine (Little 3), Ramona District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-259810a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-259810a.jpg)
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