Lithium is an element valuable for the production of glass, aluminium products, and batteries.  It is mined from ores of petalite (LiAl(Si2O5)2, lepidolite K(Li,Al)3(Al,Si,Rb)4O10(F,OH)2, spodumene LiAl(SiO3)2 and also subsurface brines. It is the lightest metal on Earth and is soft enough to be cut with a knife when in its elemental form.

Types of Lithium Ores 

1. Lepidolite: Lepidolite is the name of a rare lithium-rich mica mineral that is usually pink, red, or purple in colour. It is the most common lithium-bearing mineral and serves as a minor ore of lithium metal, with rubidium and caesium sometimes being byproducts. When impregnated with quartz, lepidolite is used as a minor gemstone. Flakes of lepidolite are sometimes responsible for the colour of pink and red aventurine.
2. Amblygonite: Amblygonite is a phosphate mineral composed of lithium, sodium, and aluminium phosphate [(Li,Na)AlPO4(F,OH)], that is an ore of lithium. It occurs in lithium- and phosphate-rich granitic pegmatites, often in very large, white, translucent masses.
3. Spodumene: Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral that is typically found in lithium-rich pegmatites. It is usually associated with other lithium minerals such as lepidolite, eucryptite, and petalite. Spodumene has a chemical composition of LiAlSi2O6 but small amounts of sodium sometimes substitute for lithium. Spodumene is also used as a gemstone, and in that use, the colour variety names of the mineral are used. Pink to purple spodumene is known as kunzite, green spodumene is known as hiddenite, and yellow spodumene is known as triphane
4. Petalite: Petalite is a lithium aluminium silicate that belongs to the silicate class of minerals. ​Its crystal system is monoclinic. It crystallizes relatively rarely and most often occurs as large cleavable masses. Its colour can be white, colourless, grey, pinkish, or yellow.