Judging quality
Distinguished from quartz by lower hardness and a pearly cleavage lustre. Faceted material is scarce and usually small.
Silicate
Petalite
A lithium aluminium silicate with a soft, satiny character — usually colorless to pale pink, and one of the quiet stones people gravitate to without being able to say why.
Care
Cleavage present; avoid knocks and ultrasonics.
History & lore
Lithium was discovered in petalite from the Swedish island of Utö in 1817.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Petalite
- What is Petalite?
- A lithium aluminium silicate with a soft, satiny character — usually colorless to pale pink, and one of the quiet stones people gravitate to without being able to say why.
- How hard is Petalite and what is it made of?
- Petalite is a Silicate-family mineral with the composition LiAlSi4O10. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and rates 6-6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in colorless, white, blush, cream.
- Where does Petalite come from?
- Notable localities for Petalite include Brazil, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Sweden (Utö).
- How do you tell good Petalite from filler?
- Distinguished from quartz by lower hardness and a pearly cleavage lustre. Faceted material is scarce and usually small.
- How do you care for Petalite?
- Cleavage present; avoid knocks and ultrasonics.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.