[7] The most recent analysis for bityite found in the literature is for a sample from the Maantienvarsi pegmatite dyke in the Eräjärvi area in Orivesi [6], southern Finland.
[8] In 1947, Rowledge and Hayton discovered a new mineral from Londonderry, Western Australia with a similar chemical composition; they named it bowleyite.
The atomic structure derived by X-Ray powder and optical analysis of bityite is that of a two layer modification that also exhibits a complex affinity to twinning.
[6] Bityite has a mica structure, shown in adjacent figure, which consists of tetrahedral and octahedral sheets separated by an interlayer cation.
[13] The coupled substitution of lithium for vacancy and the beryllium for the tetrahedral aluminium maintains all the charges balanced; thereby, resulting in the trioctahedral end member for the margarite sub-group of the phyllosilicate group.
[13] Bityite exhibits a strong pearly luster, and occurs as a fine scaled white yellowish mass which is usually smaller than 0.3mm in diameter;[6] and, its opacity is transparent to translucent.
[11] Physical properties analyses conducted with precision photographs using zirconium-filtered molybdenum radiation indicates that bityite exhibits monoclinic symmetry, and is part of the C2/c space group.