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UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Mineral group / supergroup · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Lepidolite
Also known aslepidolite-bearing rock (conditional name) · Lithium mica
A field and series name for lithium-rich mica, usually close in composition to the polylithionite–trilithionite series; it is not a single mineral species in the IMA list. Also known as Lithium mica, lepidolite-bearing rock. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Lepidolite forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- Treatments and enhancements of LepidoliteThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Caring for and wearing LepidoliteDurability indicators and wearing advice
- Hardness, density and refractive index of LepidoliteEach value with its source and check date
- Lepidolite in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Has any of GIA, FTC, CIBJO or Gem-A put a name for it on record here?
- Name origin and history of LepidoliteWhere the name comes from
- Listing and disclosing LepidoliteThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Lepidolite is a field/series name (a group name) for lithium-rich micas and not a single IMA mineral species. Its main host is granite pegmatites, where fluids or melts rich in lithium and fluorine metasomatically replace muscovite or biotite; it also appears in certain high-temperature quartz veins, greisens and granites. Aggregates are scaly, platy or massive, and the mineral commonly occurs as the 1M, 2M2 and 3A polytypes; it belongs to the mica group. As a series/group name, individual specimens vary in composition between the polylithionite and trilithionite end members.
Scope: Covers an overview of the origin of lithium-rich micas (the lepidolite series/group name); as a series/group name, it does not refer to any single mineral species or any specific sample.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Where it forms
Granite pegmatites, where lithium- and fluorine-rich fluids replace muscovite or biotite
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
High-temperature quartz veins, greisens, and granites; associated with spodumene, elbaite, beryl, topaz, cassiterite, and other minerals
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
How it forms, step by step
Lithium- and fluorine-rich fluids or melts are active in a granite pegmatite environment.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
The fluids metasomatically replace pre-existing muscovite or biotite, producing lepidolite.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Direct crystallisation is also possible within certain high-temperature quartz veins, greisens and granites.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
It occurs as scaly, platy, or massive aggregates and develops several polytypes such as 1M, 2M2, and 3A.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Link to appearance
Lepidolite ranges from pink, purple, rose-red, and violet-gray to yellow, white, or colorless, with a pearly to vitreous luster; its platy, flexible-elastic mica structure follows from its composition and sheet-like habit. As a series name, appearance alone cannot establish its exact end-member composition or a specimen's origin.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Timescale
The source states no absolute geological timescale for lepidolite formation.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Related base materials
- Polylithionite: One end-member of the lepidolite series: lepidolite is a name for lithium-rich micas whose composition lies within the polylithionite–trilithionite series, and is not itself a single mineral species.
- Trilithionite: The other end-member of the lepidolite series: together with polylithionite, it defines the compositional range of the lepidolite series.
Supporting findings
Lepidolite is found in granite pegmatites, where it can arise through metasomatic replacement of muscovite or biotite, as well as in certain high-temperature quartz veins, greisens and granites.
Evidence grade BScope: Describes the occurrence and mode of formation; not universal to all lepidolite specimens.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources list the localities below; the list is not exhaustive.
Africa
- Maharitra, Mount Bity, MadagascarHoM specimen locality, not a gem-material source
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Europe
- Alabashka, Ural Mountains, RussiaHoM specimen locality, not a gem-material source
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
North America
- Pala and Mesa Grande districts, San Diego County, California, United StatesHoM specimen locality, not a gem-material source
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
- Tanco mine, Bernic Lake, Manitoba, CanadaHoM specimen locality, not a gem-material source
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
- Mount Mica, Oxford County, Maine, United StatesHoM specimen locality, not a gem-material source
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
These are localities recorded by authoritative sources, not an origin finding for any individual piece. The CIBJO Gemstone Book (2022, §4.2.3) says a place of origin names where a gem was mined or harvested, is a matter of opinion, does not imply a level of quality, and that cutting, processing or exporting centres must not be used to imply origin. See the origin determination guide and the overview of recorded localities.
Where the name comes from
Lepidolite is a series name for lithium-rich mica, ranging between the parent end members polylithionite and trilithionite and not itself a single mineral species; this etymology belongs to the series name lepidolite — its name comes from Greek lepidos, meaning "scale", a reference to the mineral's micaceous structure.
Evidence grade BScope: This states only the origin of the name and does not establish the material's composition, locality, natural origin, or whether it was treated.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Other research findings
Lepidolite belongs to the mica group; its idealized composition is roughly K(Li,Al)3(Si,Al)4O10(F,OH)2.
Evidence grade BScope: Describes the group affiliation and ideal formula of lepidolite; not a specific end-member.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Lepidolite is a field/series name (a group name) for lithium-rich micas rather than a single IMA mineral species; its common polytypes are 1M, 2M2, and 3A.
Evidence grade BScope: Defines only the name/category status of lepidolite; does not establish a specimen's naturalness or origin.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Lepidolite ranges from pink, purple, and rose-red to violet-gray, yellow, white, or colorless, with a pearly to vitreous luster.
Evidence grade BScope: Describes the color and luster range; the source gives no color-cause mechanism.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- Lepidolite is a series/group name, not a single mineral species, so no species-level assertion is made.
- The source states no absolute geological timescale for lepidolite formation.
- The source gives no specific color-cause mechanism for lepidolite.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Lepidolite (a mica series, not a single mineral species)
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Lepidolite”
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments recorded for this material: Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Coated (via parent material)
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
"Lepidolite" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Industry-wide term that does not denote a single species.
Evidence
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Lepidolite (a mica series, not a single mineral species)" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- This entry's exact material identity is not fully settled.
- See “Disclosure and cautions” above
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Trade-name ruling
- Industry-wide term that does not denote a single species.
- Suggested listing name
- Lepidolite (a mica series, not a single mineral species)
Care and wear
No institutional care guidance is registered for this material yet; below are its durability indicators and general guidance.
Durability and wearing
Numbers in curly braces, such as {111}, are crystallographic face symbols (Miller indices): each marks a set of crystal faces or cleavage planes. They are reproduced as written in the cited source.
Daily wear
Lepidolite ranks only 2.5–4 on the Mohs scale and is soft, flexible and elastic, with perfect cleavage on {001}; it is easily scratched or split along cleavage and is best kept to protected uses or display rather than worn daily.
Care
Clean gently with a soft brush and warm water; never use ultrasonic or steam cleaners or heat. Avoid acidic, solvent-based or abrasive cleaners, and store it apart from harder gems.
General guidance: LumaLark's general guidance inferred from the material's properties (hardness, toughness, cleavage); not text from the cited source, and not a guarantee for any specific piece.
Scope: This field describes the material's general properties and does not constitute a durability or safety guarantee for any specific finished product; the durability of treated (filled, dyed, coated) or composite pieces must be assessed separately.
Treatments and identification leads
One row per treatment, with three standards side by side: how often it occurs and how stable it is (CIBJO), its category in GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (this site's paraphrase) and how the JJA/AGL 2025 table lists it. Each CIBJO value links to its entry under “Testing and market”, where the wording and source are given in full.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Treatment | Market frequency (CIBJO) | Stability (CIBJO) | GB/T 16552 category | JJA/AGL listing | Identification leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filling | — | — | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 | — | — |
| Coating | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (row for Mica Jade)
Whether a treatment has to show in the name differs between the two rule sets (this site’s paraphrase):
- GB/T 16552—2017: a method classed as treatment has to be stated in the name itself — the method put before the name, or added in brackets after it; a method classed as optimization does not need to appear in the name, though one marked “Optimization (annotation required)” still has to be noted in the quality documents. Source: §5.4.2.1 a), b); §5.4.2.2 a)
- CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022: no longer splits treatments into ones that need specific disclosure and ones that need only general disclosure: every treatment is to be disclosed, and the seller tells the buyer which treatment was used and what special care it calls for. Source: §4.2.5 Note 2, §4.2.5.1, pp.14–15
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Besides Lepidolite, the name register records "Lithium mica" and "lepidolite-bearing rock", for which no restriction on use as a name is recorded; one further name in a non-Latin script is listed in the name register below (1 with no restriction recorded on use as a name).
Standard and listing namesThe GB/T 16552—2017 formal name for Lepidolite is set out in Table A.2, and the suggested listing name is Lepidolite (not a single mineral species). Names in four languagesThe four-language names cover Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Lepidolite) and Japanese; the GSJ (Japan) formal name is a separate Japanese form. Trade and mineralogical namesOn the mineralogical name, Lepidolite is a field/series name for lithium-rich mica, with a composition often close to the polylithionite–trilithionite series. The synonym Lithium mica is matched automatically to Lepidolite; the English market name lepidolite-bearing rock is matched only once its conditions are confirmed; a Simplified Chinese narrower name (variety/subtype) for lilac mica jade comes from the colour description of mica jade in GB/T 16553—2017. Institution usageOn authority wording, the FTC and CIBJO texts have no wording for Lepidolite (checked), and GIA and Gem-A are unchecked; bodies without a record show the English name Lepidolite, which does not represent their position.
Name register
Every name recorded for this entry, with how it is classified, whether it may be matched to this entry automatically, whether it may be used as a product name, and the clause it rests on.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Name | Type | Matching | Use as a name | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no restriction recorded (3) | ||||
| Lithium micaEnglish | synonym | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited) |
| lepidolite-bearing rockEnglish | market name | matched only once the condition is confirmed | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited) |
| 丁香紫玉Simplified Chinese | narrower name (variety or subtype) | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | GB/T 16553—2017 5.2.38 |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- 鱗雲母（リシア雲母）
- Chinese formal name
- 锂云母 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2)
- Mineralogical name
- Lepidolite: lithium-rich mica field/series name, commonly near the polylithionite–trilithionite series
- Trade names and synonyms
- Lithium mica (synonym) · lepidolite-bearing rock (market name; conditional name)
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 锂云母
- 繁體中文
- 鋰雲母
- English
- Lepidolite
- 日本語
- レピドライト／リチア雲母
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Other silicate minerals
- Identity tier
- Mineral group / supergroup
- Mineral chemical class
- Silicates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments listed by standards
GB/T 16552-2017, Annex B, Table B.1
Under the “Mica Jade” row of Table B.1: Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Coating Treatment. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Mica Jade page.
What Table B.1 is, and how the “see 5.4.1” grades are defined: see the GB/T 16552: optimization vs treatment page.
What it is and how it's identified
Lepidolite has a refractive index of 1.54–1.56, given by the cited clause specifically for Lepidolite; the qualification notes that the cited clause gives readings commonly seen with the spot method, typical values rather than absolute limits. Values taken for mica jade (the whole class) are: structure crystalline aggregate, usually a platy or scaly aggregate; density 2.2–3.4 g/cm³; optic character anisotropic aggregate; lustre vitreous, pearly on cleavage surfaces, with treatment state untreated. The body colour of Lepidolite is pale purple, rose or lilac, pink where manganese is present, with treatment state untreated; the qualification notes that in chapter 5 of GB/T 16553—2017 the colour entries for conch pearl, ruby, lazulite and other varieties also mention purple or a purplish tone. Mohs hardness: Handbook of Mineralogy — Lepidolite gives 2.5–4, qualified in that the cited source treats lepidolite as a series rather than a single approved species; GB/T 16553—2017 gives 2–3 for mica jade (the whole class).
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum, magnification: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for mica jade (the whole class), so they are not repeated on the Lepidolite page; see the material facts on the Mica Jade entry.
Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Lepidolite (how to read class-level values).
Structure
Lepidolite — structure (overall): crystalline aggregate, usually of flakes or scales.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- mica jade (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.38 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Durability
Mohs hardness2 sources compared
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
Lepidolite — Mohs hardness: 2.5–4
Handbook of Mineralogy
- Qualification
The cited source treats this name as a series rather than a single approved species.
Source & check 2026-09-20
- Source
- Handbook of Mineralogy — Lepidolite (Mineral Data Publishing): p. 1, Physical Properties (locator checked 2026-09-20)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-20
Lepidolite — Mohs hardness: 2–3
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- mica jade (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.38 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lepidolite — toughness: cleavage perfect; tenacity flexible, elastic
Handbook of Mineralogy
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Qualification
The cited source treats this name as a series rather than a single approved species.
Source & check 2026-09-20
- Source
- Handbook of Mineralogy — Lepidolite (Mineral Data Publishing): p. 1, Physical Properties (locator checked 2026-09-20)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-20
Physical properties
Lepidolite — density: 2.2–3.4 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- mica jade (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.38 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Optical
Lepidolite — optic character: anisotropic aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- mica jade (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.38 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lepidolite — refractive index: 1.54–1.56
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives this as a value commonly read by the spot (distant-vision) method. It is a common value, not an absolute limit.
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.38 Refractive index · Lepidolite (locator checked 2026-09-28)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lepidolite — birefringence: not measurable on an aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- mica jade (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.38 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lepidolite — pleochroism: not measurable on an aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- mica jade (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.38 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lepidolite — optical effect (chatoyancy): seen; rare
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- mica jade (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.38 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lepidolite — body colour: light violet, rose, lilac; sometimes white; peach-pink when it contains manganese.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
In chapter 5 of GB/T 16553—2017, the colour entries of Natural Conch Pearl / Natural Melo Pearl, Ruby, Lazulite and other variety clauses also name purple or a purplish colour.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.38 Colour · Lepidolite (locator checked 2026-09-28)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
- CIBJO definitions
- chatoyancy
Quality factors
Lepidolite — quality factor (lustre): vitreous; cleavage surfaces show a pearly lustre.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- mica jade (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.38 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.55 / 2.8; Closest values: 1Qingtian Stone 1.565 / 2.77, 2Shoushan Stone 1.56 / 2.7, 3Aventurine Quartz 1.548 / 2.67, 4Brucite 1.57 / 2.89, 5Scapolite 1.558 / 2.67
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- RRUFF Project, in partnership with the IMA – International Mineralogical Association. IMA Mineral List.
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
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| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Other silicate minerals | Live |
| Treatments recorded for this material | Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Coated (via parent material) | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Lepidolite entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.