Mica (Lepidolite)

Lepidolite is a lithium-aluminum potassium mineral and one of the most commonly found members of the Mica family. This stone can be found crystallized in the form of masses, plates, aggregates, stacked sheets (also known as "books"), and tabular or prismatic crystals. Although typically pale lilac, specimens can also be colorless, violet, pale yellow, or gray. Lepidolite crystals may appear pseudohexagonal. The mineral is also found as botryoidal or kidneylike masses and fine- to coarse-grained, interlocking plates.

is derived from the Greek word "'lepidos" for scale and "lithos" for stone. This crystal can be found worldwide with abundant veins spread throughout Brazil, Madagascar, Australia, Russia, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and the United States. In the middle ages, large sheets of Lepidolite were split from their masses and used as coverings for large openings within buildings. This became known as one of the world's first societal uses of a "window". Lepidolite is a very soft and brittle stone that can only be cut, shaped, or polished when it is found within a Quartz body.