A series name for trioctahedral micas on or close to the trilithionite-polylithionite join. Also used to describe light-colored micas with a significant amount of lithium. Lepidolite is useful as a field term for micas that have not been completely analyzed compositionally, that are commonly found in pegmatite, that have a pink or whitish color. In general, lepidolite, as distinguished from muscovite, commonly crystallizes as the 1M polytype, whereas muscovite is commonly the 2M₁ polytype. Lithium is not a chromophore and does not impart the pink color to lepidolite; the presence of Mn probably imparts the pink color to lepidolite.