Petalite with Lepidolite

specimen number:
1052549

location:
Lipovka Mine, Rezhevsky, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia

description:
Rich masses of vitreous colorless petalite throughout this matrix with lepidolite. Good large rich example for the species, especially for the historical locality. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video and dates to the very early 20th century if not earlier.

The Lipovka mining district, located in the Rezh region of the Sverdlovsk Oblast in the Ural Mountains of Russia, is a historic locality famous for its vibrant gemstones and rare minerals. Geologically, the area is situated within the Murzinka-Aduy pegmatite belt, where granitic pegmatites intruded into older ultramafic and metamorphic rocks. This specific geological setting resulted in the formation of desilicated pegmatites and reaction zones, which produced world-class specimens of pink and multicolored elbaite tourmaline, as well as beryl and topaz. Historically, mining in the Lipovka area began in the late 18thnd and early 19thnd centuries following the discovery of the "gem-bearing veins" by local peasants. The most intensive period of operation occurred during the late 1800s and early 1900s, with various mines and pits being worked specifically for the jewelry industry. While the primary era of commercial gem production peaked before the Russian Revolution, the district remains a legendary site for mineralogists and collectors, particularly for its unique "rubellite" tourmalines and the complex mineral assemblages found in its weathered pockets.

Petalite is an important lithium aluminum tectosilicate mineral that serves as a primary ore of lithium. Geologically, it occurs almost exclusively in rare-element granitic pegmatites, specifically those enriched in lithium, cesium, and tantalum, where it forms alongside minerals like spodumene, lepidolite, and quartz. It was first discovered in 1800 by the Brazilian naturalist Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva on the island of Uto, Sweden, and its name is derived from the Greek word for "leaf" due to its perfect basal cleavage. The mineral is typically colorless, white, or grey, but rare pink and yellow varieties are also known. In many pegmatite systems, petalite is metastable and often breaks down into a fine-grained intergrowth of spodumene and quartz known as squi, a process triggered by changes in temperature and pressure during the cooling of the pegmatite body. Beyond its industrial use in ceramics and glass production, transparent petalite is prized by gemstone collectors for its high clarity and its historical significance as the mineral in which the element lithium was first identified by Johan August Arfwedson.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.