Lepidolite (rare BLUE color)

Item Description

The Ofiki locality in Nigeria (about 135 km WNW of Ibadan) is well-known for its attractive gem Tourmaline, and most people don't think of it as a big Mica producer, but this piece is a notably unique and distinctive specimen with a RARE color for the material. This piece is what has been referred to as "Lepidolite" for many years, but it must be noted that Lepidolite is no longer a valid mineral species, and according to the information we found, Lepidolite is now defined as a mineral in the so-called Polylithionite-Trilithionite series. Regardless, the term Lepidolite is still used commonly, and we're sticking with it for the purpose of this listing. Most Lepidolite is some kind a pink / purple / lavender hue, but this one is clearly BLUE (with a lavender overtone), and is the only one like it that I've seen. The blue color is more evident in person than the video indicates. The piece features a few thin bladed crystals of eye-catching translucency, free of matrix. A cool and unusual specimen for any fan of pegmatite minerals or worldwide Mica specimens.
From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#13792). This husband and wife duo were actively involved in the mineral world for many decades. Bill was a PhD geologist, and Anne was a mathematician, and they both were very serious mineral collectors. Bill served for many years as adjunct curator of mineralogy at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and Anne was inducted into the Micromounters' Hall of Fame on October 12, 2019. Both Bill and Anne, at various times, served as president both of the Mineralogical Society of Cleveland and of the Micromineral Society of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The rare barium lithium beryllium phosphate Wilancookite was named in their honor in 2015.