Lepidolite or "Flower Sugilite"

Semi-precious lepidolite is frequently known as flower sugilite. In reality, it isn't sugilite at all. Sugilite is a completely different stone, although it's also purple in its most desirable quality. Lepidolite's color is violet to pale pink or white and rarely gray or yellow. Its luster is vitreous to pearly and crystals are transparent to translucent. It is 2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. Associated minerals are quartz, feldspars, and tourmaline.

Lepidolite is an uncommon mica and has only become available on the mineral market in sufficient quantities in the past decade. Lepidolite forms in granitic masses containing lithium. The typical violet to pink color of lepidolite is characteristic and is the only field test available to identify lepidolite from other micas.

Notable occurrences include Brazil, the Ural Mountains in Russia, several African localities and California in the U.S. Lepidolite belongs to the silicates class in the mica group. Its uses include ornamental stone, ore of lithium, and as a heat insulator in industry. A rock made of granular pink lepidolite and red to pink tourmaline is used as an ornamental stone for carving. Single large plates or "books" of lepidolite can have an appealing violet color and make attractive mineral specimens.

End of Summer

Hi everyone, it's hard to believe but it's almost September. Tomorrow, it's December 25th. School has started again, but the heat hasn't broken. In fact, as I write this, there are 3 tropical systems out there Florida will watch. Just quickly jotting my thoughts. I have no news to report, except my dismay at the passing of time. How can the work weeks go by so slowly, but the months and years just fly? Here's a new bracelet I posted tonight on Etsy. Will get it onto 15promises.net shortly. Onward. Blessings. This is a lepidolite and sterling silver bracelet with a Jerusalem cross and Swarovski crystal dangles for length adjustment. Nothing fancy, just nice.

August Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Nancy, my Rosary Guild's August Giveaway winner. Nancy won the beautiful chrysocolla and lapis lazuli rosary with the Pardon crucifix and St. Benedict center. She was very happy to win and said her dad would love the rosary. Thank you for participating, Nancy! Please visit our shops again.

Lapis Lazuli Gemstones

Since I used lapis lazuli in this month's giveaway rosary, I thought I'd offer a bit of information about it. First, it is one of my favorite gemstones, as it is for many people. It's an easy stone to love because of its cobalt blue color, but also, good quality lapis has pyrite inclusions, giving it random gold shadings. In ancient times, sapphire was frequently translated as lapis lazuli.

The name lapis lazuli comes from the Persian word lazhward meaning blue, in allusion to its color. In ancient times, lapis lazuli was known as sapphirus, which is today's name for the blue corundum variety sapphire. Lapis lazuli has been highly valued for many thousands of years. The most famous locality for fine quality lapis lazuli is the same ancient deposit high in the mountains of Afghanistan where it was originally mined at least 6,000 years ago. It was used by the ancient Egyptians in many religious ceremonies, and was often used as an inscription stone for various passages from the Book of the Dead. Lapis lazuli was one of the stones in Aaron's Breastplate, described in the Bible (Exodus). Up until the 19th century, lapis lazuli was ground up and mixed with oil to produce the deep blue-green pigment known as ultramarine which meant literally beyond the sea, as the lapis lazuli was brought from far away by ship.

Rosary Guild Blog August Giveaway

I'm lucky the Guild scheduled me for this month's giveaway donation. I've donated a chrysocolla and lapis lazuli five decade rosary with a pardon crucifix and St. Benedict center. Please participate at the attached link. It's very easy. All you have to do per entry (and you can enter as many times as you like) is first visit my shop (http://www.15promises.etsy.com/), pick a favorite item, and return to the Guild's blog and post a comment. I encourage you to visit all the shops at the posted links and pick favorite items, too. Each comment is an entry. Random.org is the number generator that chooses the winner. The contest ends at midnight, 8/15. It is open to U.S. residents only and Guild members may not participate. There are numerous ways to enter. Full details are here: http://www.etsyrosaryguildteam.blogspot.com/ location.