LEP-R-01 Origin: Madagascar Grade: AA Dimensions: 05-10g - Approximately 15-25mm 10-20g - Approximately 25-35mm 20-30g - Approximately 35-45mm Origin: Madagascar Grade: AA = very high Tumbled lepidolite stone of approximately 5-10g. Sold individually. Shapes and colors may vary from one stone to another. Lepidolite comes from the Greek word "lepis" meaning "scale" in reference to the stone's structure. This stone was first called "lilahite" by Austrian naturalist geologist Nicolaus Von Neuhaus (1723 - 1798) due to its lilac color. Then, it was described in 1792 by German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1743 - 1817), who gave it its definitive name, lepidolite. It is a rare stone that owes its friability to the light fragments of lithium. It is also composed of silicon, aluminum, and manganese. It has this scaly appearance due to the presence of lithium. Manganese gives it its beautiful lilac color. However, lepidolite is a mineral that can be colorless or white. But it can be found in multiple colors, more rarely yellow, green, or pale red, or more commonly pink, violet, or purple. It appears in tabular, prismatic, or pseudo-hexagonal crystals. This mineral forms only in geochemical environments where there are high concentrations of lithium. Lepidolite is therefore a rare mineral because it requires a very particular geochemical situation. The lithium ion is the smallest and is one of the last ions to form during the crystallization of magma at the subsurface. The highly concentrated presence of lithium allows the formation of minerals such as spodumene, petalite, tourmaline, and lepidolite. The latter can sometimes be confused with muscovite. However, the colors differentiate them, as muscovite does not have the beautiful colors of lepidolite. Lithium is a highly valued chemical element, especially in electrochemistry, for the manufacture of rechargeable batteries or other mobile phone accessories. This implies that lepidolite is commonly used. Lepidolite is most often a purplish-pink mineral, close to hydrothermal veins where its crystallization occurs. It has a hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale, making it a very soft mineral. For reference, diamond has the highest hardness, which is 10 on the Mohs scale. Lepidolite belongs to the large family of micas. There are no particular legends or myths about this stone with powerful virtues, especially in lithotherapy. The main deposits are located in Brazil, Madagascar, India, the United States, or Zimbabwe.