Lepidocrocite Quartz, Meaning, Properties, and Facts

What is lepidocrocite

Lepidocrocite is an iron oxyhydroxide, γ-FeO(OH), with the same chemistry as goethite in a different crystal structure. It forms when iron rusts in wet conditions and grows as thin red scales, and the name comes from Greek words for scale and fiber. It is common in soils and in the rust on old iron and steel. Inside quartz it shows as red to orange flakes, threads and dust, sealed in as the quartz grew around it.

Lepidocrocite quartz properties

Lepidocrocite quartz properties are mostly quartz properties, because the inclusions are a tiny share of the stone (quartz data on Mindat):

Where lepidocrocite quartz is found

Lepidocrocite quartz is found where quartz grew in iron-rich fluids, and the points in this drop come from Brazil, Madagascar, Spain and India. The host is usually colorless clear quartz, which lets the red show. Lepidocrocite is also one of the inclusions claimed for Super Seven amethyst from Brazil.

Strawberry quartz, fire quartz and harlequin quartz

Strawberry quartz, fire quartz and harlequin quartz are trade names for quartz with red iron mineral inclusions, and the names overlap. Fire quartz, also called hematoid quartz, is colored by hematite, as flakes inside or as a red skin. Harlequin quartz has fine red threads or dots. Strawberry quartz has red specks through a clear or pink body, and a lot of what is sold under that name is glass, as is all cherry quartz. Red quartz is the plain umbrella term for the lot. Hematite and lepidocrocite are both iron minerals, so the red behind every one of these names is iron, whichever mineral holds it.

How to tell if lepidocrocite quartz is real

How to tell if lepidocrocite quartz is real has two parts: whether it is quartz, and whether the red is lepidocrocite. The first is easy. Quartz scratches glass, and natural inclusions sit at different depths, not in neat patterns, while glass imitations show round bubbles and color swirls. The second takes a lab, because hematite, goethite and lepidocrocite look much alike, and many red inclusions sold as lepidocrocite have never been tested.

Lepidocrocite quartz care: water and sun

Lepidocrocite quartz care is simple because the iron mineral is sealed inside the quartz. Water is fine, and the red will not fade in sunlight. Where inclusions break the surface, dry the piece well and skip acid cleaners, which dissolve iron minerals. Skip ultrasonic cleaners as well, since they can stress a crystal full of inclusions.

Lepidocrocite meaning

Lepidocrocite meaning, in crystal lore, is emotional healing and calm, and sellers often bundle it with the other red quartz names. That is belief, not chemistry. The science is plainer and more fun: a rust mineral, grown in water, locked inside a crystal.

Lepidocrocite quartz for sale

Lepidocrocite quartz for sale in the current drop: Lepidocrocite Crystal Points from Brazil, Madagascar, Spain and India, photographed in daylight exactly as they ship. Browse all quartz for the rest of the drop.

Lepidocrocite Quartz FAQ

What is strawberry quartz?

Strawberry quartz is clear or pink quartz with red specks of iron minerals such as lepidocrocite or hematite, and much of what is sold under the name is glass.

Is fire quartz the same as lepidocrocite quartz?

Fire quartz is not the same as lepidocrocite quartz: fire quartz, or hematoid quartz, is colored by hematite, a different iron mineral.

What is harlequin quartz?

Harlequin quartz is clear quartz with fine red threads or dots of iron minerals, usually hematite or lepidocrocite.

Is lepidocrocite quartz water safe?

Lepidocrocite quartz is water safe because the iron mineral is sealed inside quartz, which is 7 on the Mohs scale.

What does the name lepidocrocite mean?

The name lepidocrocite means roughly scale fiber, from Greek words for scale and fiber, after the thin scales the mineral grows in.

Sources

• Lepidocrocite, Wikipedia
• Hematite, Mindat
• Quartz, Mindat