Help with identification of this rock, this should be a tough one SOLVED!

[utah hunter]

This rock belongs to my Grandmother and she wants it identified. It belonged to my Grandfather who is now deceased, and he owned a rock shop when he was alive. I don't know if he found it himself in Utah or bought it in Quartsite, but some experts in our area can't positively identify it for us. It is lavender and lighter in color than the pictures show. The crystal structure is round in nature. Thanks for any help on this one...Ryan

 

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[PBK]

Re: Help with identification of this rock, this should be a tough one

Photos?

 

[utah hunter]

Re: Help with identification of this rock, this should be a tough one

Photos?

That does help a little The specimen also has kind of a metallic luster, it is very unique

 

[irbaddadjoe]

Re: Help with identification of this rock, this should be a tough one

Cordierite?

 

[MEinWV]

Re: Help with identification of this rock, this should be a tough one

It appears to me to be Ball Lepidolite. Lepidolite is in the Mica family. Mica is generally flat, and can be peeled apart in thin sheets that can be seen through. It is very common in the clear to silver colors, but the purple colors are more rare. The color comes from a higher level of lithium in the material.

The pegmatite dikes in the mountains of western Maine contain quite a lot of the purple/lavender colored mineral. Some mines in Maine display this type of Mica in "ball form", which is what your specimen seems to be.

I have a good sized chunk that I dug at Mt. Apatite, in Auburn Maine. Mine is more of a fine grained variety, but it has a nice light purple color. The ball type pieces I found are rather small. Your piece looks real nice, and depending on the size, can have some decent value.

Without actually holding it, and seeing it in person, I think I have it right. Talk to some other rockhounds and see if they agree.

Good luck!

 

[MEinWV]

Re: Help with identification of this rock, this should be a tough one

Hey utah,

After taking another look at the pics, I can now state that I am positive about my first guess.

It is a specimen of " ball lepidolite " (high lithium mica)

 

[utah hunter]

Re: Help with identification of this rock, this should be a tough one

Hey utah,

After taking another look at the pics, I can now state that I am positive about my first guess.

It is a specimen of " ball lepidolite " (high lithium mica)

It looks like you are correct, thanks for the help. A web search confirms your id, and odds are it came from Brazil. When I first saw it my first thought was mica, but mica never looked so incredible or had such a beautiful color. Unless you see this in person you can't understand. Here is an additional pic for size, it is a little bigger than a baseball but not quite as big as a softball. The table was made by my grandfather back in the 70's. AWESOME huh Thanks again for the help...Ryan

 

[fossis]

The table is 'awesome', your Grandfather would be
proud of you for sharing.

Fossis...............

 

[ashleen]

Wow! That table is to die for!

 

[utah hunter]

Thanks for the comments on the table, every time I visit my Grandma I can't help being engulfed by it's beauty all over again. I will never be able to own it, but I can enjoy it. Next time I am down I will get a full picture. I was worried about the specimen and didn't even think about getting pics of the table

 

[CarolinaDigs]

That table is magnificent