lepidolite

{{Infobox mineral | name = Lepidolite | category = Phyllosilicate minerals | group = Mica group, trioctahedral mica group | series = Polylithionite-Trilithionite series | boxwidth = | boxbgcolor = #cccccc | image = Boromuscovite-Lepidolite-ch38a.jpg | imagesize = 260px | caption = | formula = | IMAsymbol = Lpd | molweight = | strunz = 9.EC.20 | system = Monoclinic | class = Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol) | symmetry = C2/m, Cm | unit cell = a = 5.209(2) Å, b = 9.011(5) Å, c = 10.149(5) Å; β = 100:77(4)°; Z = 2 | color = Pink, light purple, purple, rose-red, violet-gray, yellowish, white, colorless other colors possible but are rare. | habit = Tabular to prismatic pseudohexagonal crystals, scaly aggregates and massive | twinning = Rare, composition plane {001} | cleavage = {001} perfect | fracture = Uneven | mohs = 2.5–3 | luster = Vitreous to pearly | polish = | refractive = nα=1.525–1.548, nβ=1.551–1.58, nγ=1.554–1.586 | opticalprop = Biaxial (−) | birefringence = 0.0290–0.0380 | dispersion = | 2V = 0° – 58° measured | pleochroism = X = almost colorless; Y = Z = pink, pale violet | fluorescence= | absorption = | streak = White | gravity = 2.8–2.9 | density = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | diaphaneity = Transparent to translucent | other = | references = }}

Lepidolite is the common name for a lilac-gray or rose-colored series of minerals in the mica group. The mineralogical name for this series is the polylithionite-trilithionite series. Lepidolite has a chemical formula of . It is the most abundant lithium-bearing mineral and is a secondary source of this metal. It is also the major source of the alkali metal rubidium, which substitutes (as in all minerals) for potassium.