Lepidolite with Rubellite Tourmaline

Item Description

It's incredibly rare to find such a fine specimen of crystallized Lepidolite from the Himalaya Mine on the market these days. This mine has given collectors some of the most impressive Tourmalines from North America, but the Lepidolite doesn't get enough credit for its superb color and quality. In the case of this specimen, its also the noteworthy SIZE of the crystals that makes it so impressive. I should state that Lepidoolite is no longer a valid species, and the material is defined as a mineral in the so-called Polylithionite-Trilithionite series, but everybody still knows the term Lepidolite, so that's where we're leaving it. With that said, this piece hosts superb, rich purple color, gemmy groups of Lepidolite which are growing on Quartz, Albite and Microcline matrix. The cherry on top is the fact that there is a 1.0 cm, richly colored Rubellite Tourmaline sitting on the front of the specimen. As I said, the Lepidolite crystals are large, measuring up to 4.7 cm across, and they are quite gemmy when backlit as you can see from the photos. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the piece is the fact that there is a distinct transition on the back / side of the main Lepidolite group where it changes from purple to silvery-beige mica. I'm not sure if this is a different species of mica altogether, or just Lepidolite without the purple color. Regardless, this is a beautiful and eye-catching display specimen from this historic locality. If you collect minerals of San Diego County, or specifically from the Himalay Mine, or if you just like superb crystallzied mica specimens, don't miss out on this one. Priced at $2,000 in the inventory.