Lepidolite (ex Al Kidwell Collection)

Item Description

A beautiful old-time specimen of Lepidolite Mica from the famous locality at Aracuai. The piece is filled with excellent, well-formed, soft beige-purple colored hexagonal crystal groups, and no matrix. The largest crystal group measures about 1.0 cm. Excellent condition all around, no major damage anywhere. This piece dates back about 50 years to the early 1970s, and nothing like this has been found in quite some time. For reference, Lepidolite is no longer an actual species, and is defined as a series between Polylithionite and Trilithionite, but without a true species designation, From the worldwide mineral collection of Albert Lewis Kidwell (January 1, 1919 - August 16, 2008). Al was a well-known mineral collector and research geologist with Carter Oil Company and later Exxon Oil Company in Houston, Texas. The phosphate species Kidwellite was named in his honor in 1974 ( https://www.mindat.org/photo-326405.html ).