{"title":"Mica","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMica\u003c\/strong\u003e is not one mineral but an entire family of hydrous potassium-aluminum sheet silicates, prized for a perfect basal cleavage that splits crystals into thin, elastic, glass-clear flakes flashing with a characteristic pearly luster — the trait that gave the group its name, from the Latin \"micare\", to glisten. The family is divided into common micas with monovalent interlayer cations, such as \u003cstrong\u003emuscovite\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eparagonite\u003c\/strong\u003e, and brittle micas with divalent cations, such as \u003cstrong\u003emargarite\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eclintonite\u003c\/strong\u003e. Of roughly two dozen recognized species, collectors focus mainly on six: pale, colorless-to-greenish \u003cstrong\u003emuscovite\u003c\/strong\u003e; dark, iron-bearing \u003cstrong\u003ebiotite\u003c\/strong\u003e; magnesium-rich, honey-brown \u003cstrong\u003ephlogopite\u003c\/strong\u003e; lithium-bearing, lilac-to-pink \u003cstrong\u003elepidolite\u003c\/strong\u003e; silvery sodium mica \u003cstrong\u003eparagonite\u003c\/strong\u003e; and chromium-green \u003cstrong\u003efuchsite\u003c\/strong\u003e, a muscovite variety. Muscovite crystallizes chiefly in granites, gneisses, schists and complex granite pegmatites, biotite in granites, gabbros, syenites and pegmatites, phlogopite in metamorphosed dolomitic marbles and kimberlites, and lepidolite almost exclusively in lithium-rich pegmatites alongside beryl, spodumene, topaz and tourmaline. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eClassic type localities read like a world tour of pegmatite mining. In Brazil's Minas Gerais, the pegmatites of Araçuaí yield superb violet lepidolite, while Linópolis and Divino das Laranjeiras produce fine muscovite books, often with colorful tourmaline. India, the world's largest producer, centers on Bihar and the Nellore district, with muscovite books showing striking associations with quartz and tourmaline. Madagascar's pegmatites supply muscovite, phlogopite and lepidolite together with spectacular associated species, while Russia's Ilmen Mountains and Kola Peninsula have long furnished large sheet muscovite once prized for windows and industrial insulators. Phlogopite specimens from Franklin, New Jersey, occur as lustrous barrel-shaped crystals embedded in white marble, and biotite from Mount Somma and Vesuvius, Italy, forms sharp, glassy black crystals long sought by classic European collections. Norway's Brevik and Arendal, the Ilmen Mountains of the Southern Urals, and Ontario's Bancroft and Wakefield districts round out the historic biotite and phlogopite localities, while South Africa is notable for chromium fuchsite in verdite.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollectors value mica specimens for their sheer diversity of habit and color — from single, cleavable \"books\" many centimeters across to barrel-shaped phlogopite crystals and delicate rosettes of lepidolite — and for the way each locality imprints its own combination of color, crystal form and mineral association, whether Franklin's phlogopite-in-marble, Vesuvian biotite, or Brazilian lepidolite-tourmaline pairings.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"fp1-acquamarina-muscovite","title":"AQUAMARINE \u0026 MUSCOVITE – Castle Crystals, 20cm, Chumar Bakhoor, Pakistan","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking specimen of Aquamarine crystals rising in a stepped, castle-like formation from a bed of silvery Muscovite. The Beryl crystals show a soft blue tone and well-formed faces, set against the lustrous mica matrix for a strong visual contrast. Sourced from the high-altitude pegmatite field of Chumar Bakhoor in the Karakoram range, a locality prized by collectors for gem-quality aquamarine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 201 x 159 x 78 mm (20.1 x 15.9 x 7.8 cm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2126 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Chumar Bakhoor, Nagar District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45605344444525,"sku":null,"price":1499.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260220222723.jpg?v=1786492470"},{"product_id":"rz-lepidolite-brasile-0","title":"LEPIDOLITE – Lustrous Violet Mica Plate, Minas Gerais, Brazil","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking natural specimen of Lepidolite from Brazil, showing a broad plate of perfectly crystallized lithium mica in an intense violet-purple hue. The individual mica sheets are clearly visible, catching the light with a soft pearly sheen and revealing well-defined crystal faces typical of this lithium-rich variety. An elegant and refined piece, ideal for both mineralogical and aesthetic collections.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 90 x 83 x 7 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 85 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Minas Gerais, Brazil\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45608887353453,"sku":null,"price":19.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260711183224_01.jpg?v=1786521488"},{"product_id":"rz-lepidolite-brasile-1","title":"LEPIDOLITE – Lustrous Violet Mica Crystal Plate, Minas Gerais, Brazil","description":"\u003cp\u003eA strikingly aesthetic lepidolite specimen from the lithium-rich pegmatites of Minas Gerais, Brazil, showing well-formed platy crystals with an intense violet-purple color and a pearly, silky luster. The individual mica sheets are clearly visible and catch the light beautifully, making this a highly decorative piece for both aesthetic and mineralogical collections.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 75 x 68 x 6 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 47 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Minas Gerais, Brazil\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45608984641645,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260710183108.jpg?v=1786521630"},{"product_id":"rz-fuchsite-brasile-0","title":"FUCHSITE – Lustrous Green Mica Blades on Matrix, Jacobina, Bahia, Brazil","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking specimen of Fuchsite, the chromium-rich green variety of muscovite mica, showing well-formed lamellar crystals with clearly visible cleavage faces and an intense, saturated green color. The blades display a bright pearly-to-vitreous sheen typical of well-crystallized mica, making this a strong aesthetic and mineralogical piece for any collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 54 x 23 x 16 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 24 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Jacobina gold district, Bahia, Brazil\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45610054582381,"sku":null,"price":13.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260708110358.jpg?v=1786530913"},{"product_id":"tano-lepidolite-pseudomorfosi-brasile-0","title":"LEPIDOLITE after TOURMALINE – Pseudomorph, Green Crystals on Quartz, Brazil","description":"\u003cp\u003eA fascinating Brazilian specimen documenting a complete pseudomorphosis: the original prismatic Tourmaline crystals have been entirely replaced by lustrous green Lepidolite mica, which faithfully preserves the trigonal outline of the vanished tourmaline. The pseudomorphed crystals sit within a contrasting quartz matrix, creating an attractive interplay between the pearly green mica and the pale, glassy host rock — a piece of strong mineralogical and aesthetic interest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 87 x 78 x 52 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 319 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Minas Gerais, Brazil\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45737321332845,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260630174740.jpg?v=1788064219"},{"product_id":"vog-almandine-italia-0","title":"ALMANDINE GARNET – Large Alpine Crystal on Mica Schist, South Tyrol, Italy","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking large almandine garnet crystal rises from a lustrous, silvery mica schist matrix, producing a bold visual contrast between the deep wine-red garnet and the pale, glittering mica flakes surrounding it. The crystallization quality and overall aesthetic balance make this alpine specimen a fine centerpiece for both systematic and display-oriented mineral collections.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 120 x 87 x 62 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 657 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Seeber Valley, Moos in Passeier, Burggrafenamt, South Tyrol, Italy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45737466036333,"sku":null,"price":149.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260527210402.jpg?v=1788065682"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.italmineral.com\/collections\/mica.oembed","provider":"ITALMINERAL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}