MUSCOVITE MICA AUSSIE 1
Muscovite Mica Aussie 1 Specimen. Featuring many slim sheets of Mica together. This lovely silvery Mineral possesses special properties like electrical, thermal and electromagnetic insulation and shielding. We have personally measured these properties with a Trifield meter for shielding and Mica is one of the best natural radiation shields. It has been used scientifically for these purposes for well over a hundred years. Mica can be flaky and comes apart in thin sheets much like flexible plastic. It is a popular and unusual mineral that appeals to people of all ages. Muscovite is just one variety of Mica, named for the Russian province of Muscovy, known for its sheet mica. This specimen comes with the small dispay stand shown in one of the pics.
Location:
Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia.
Dimensions:
19cm x 16cm x 0.9cm, 347g.
MICA GROUP
KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
The Mica Group is an important group of minerals. The classic phyllosilicate mineral are usually the first minerals to be thought of from this subclass of the Silicates Class. Micas are significant rock forming minerals being found in all three rock types: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. Thin flakes of mica are generally flexible and brittle. it is surprising how resistant and durable mica crystals can be. Withstanding high temperatures and pressures in metamorphic regimes.
Resisting the punishment of erosional environments. The three most common mica minerals are Muscovite, Biotite, and Lepidolite. Less common Micas are Glauconite, Paragonite, Phlogopite and Zinnwaldite. The Mica Group is a large group of minerals with over 30 members.
LEDIPOLITE
![LEDIPOLITE](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20128%20128'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
K(Li,Al)3(Al,Si,Rb)4O10(F,OH)2.
![LEPIDOLITE SPECIMEN](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20128%20128'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lepidolite is the name of a rare lithium-rich mica mineral that is usually pink, red, or purple in color. It is the most common lithium-bearing mineral. Also serves as a minor ore of lithium metal, with rubidium and cesium sometimes being byproducts. Flakes of lepidolite are sometimes responsible for the color of pink and red aventurine.
Lepidolite can only form in geochemical environments where high concentrations of lithium are available for mineral formation. Lepidolite is a rare mineral because these geochemical situations rarely occur.
The lithium ion is very small, and it does not readily substitute in other minerals. As a result, is usually one of the last ions to form minerals during the crystallization of a subsurface magma. As other ions are depleted, the residual fluids of magma crystallization become progressively enriched with lithium.
During the final stages of crystallization, there might be a high concentration of lithium to form discrete minerals. Discrete minerals of lithium are spodumene, lepidolite, and petalite. Elbaite tourmaline is another lithium-bearing mineral that forms in association with lepidolite and other lithium minerals. Other associated minerals include: beryl, cassiterite, cleavelandite, muscovite, quartz, topaz, and a variety of feldspar minerals.
LOCATIONS
Lepidolite is found in Minas Gerais, Brazil; Manitoba, Canada; Honshu, Japan; Madagascar, Ural Mountains and Australia. Also Russia; Skuleboda, Sweden; California, Maine, and New Mexico, United States; and Coolgardie, Western Australia and Zimbabwe.
Check out Lepidolite for sale here.
HEALING PROPERTIES
Lepidolite Activates the throat, heart and third eye chakras. Opens the crown chakra, assisting the user to become aware of subtle vibratory energies. Used for stress reduction. A “Stone of Transition” helping one through life’s situations and allowing for gentle changing of old patterns. Locates energy blockages in the body and is used for gridding. A form of Mica containing Lithium.
Chakras: Crown, Third Eye, Throat, Heart.
Check out more Healing Properties here.
MUSCOVITE MICA.
KAl2(AlSi3O10)(F, OH)2.
Potassium aluminum silicate hydroxide fluoride. ![MUSCOVITE MICA MUSCOVITE MICA BOOK SPECIMEN](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20128%20128'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![MUSCOVITE MICA MUSCOVITE MICA BOOK SPECIMEN](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20128%20128'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![MUSCOVITE MICA MUSCOVITE MICA AUSSIE SPECIMEN](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20128%20128'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![MUSCOVITE MICA MUSCOVITE MICA BOOK](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20128%20128'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![MUSCOVITE MICA MUSCOVITE MICA SPECIMEN](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20128%20128'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Class: Silicates
Subclass: Phyllosilicates
Group: Micas
Uses: heat and electrical insulator for industrial purposes.
Specimens
Muscovite is a common rock forming mineral found in igneous, metamorphic and detrital sedimentary rocks. Muscovite has a layered structure of aluminum silicate sheets weakly bonded together by layers of potassium ions. These potassium ion layers produce the perfect cleavage of muscovite. Cleavage sheets are durable and often found in sands that have undergone much erosion and transport. The sheets of muscovite also have high heat and electrical insulating properties. They are used to make many electical components. Muscovite sheets were used for kitchen oven windows before synthetic materials replaced them.
Muscovite as a mineral specimen is often associated with other minerals of extrodinary beauty and value. Some very nice muscovite crystals accompany such valuable minerals as tourmaline, topaz, beryl, almandine and others. A rare twin variety from Brazil forms yellow five pointed stars and is called “Star Muscovite”. A deep green variety is called fuchsite and is coloured by chromium inpurities.
PROPERTIES.
Colour is white, silver, yellow, green and brown.
Luster is vitreous to pearly.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m
Crystal Habits include tabular crystals with a prominant pinacoid termination. Muscovites four prism faces form diamond shaped “books” and if modified by another pinacoid they form pseudo-hexagonal crystal “books”. The sides of the crystal often tend to tapper. Also as lamellar rock forming masses and small flakes in detrital matterial. Twinned crystals can form flat five pointed stars.
Cleavage is perfect in one direction producing thin sheets or flakes.
Fracture is not readily observed due to cleavage but is uneven.
Hardness is 2 – 2.5.
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.8 (average)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are quartz, feldspars, beryl and tourmalines.
Other Characteristics:
Cleavage sheets are flexible and elastic.
Notable Occurrences include India, Pakistan, Brazil and many USA locallities.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, cleavage, elastic sheets, colour and associations.