The direct analysis of lithium and lithium-bearing minerals presents a significant challenge for the rapid and effective exploration of this critical commodity. as one of the lightest elements, lithium is inherently difficult to measure using technologies that have been designed and optimised over decades for the analysis of heavier elements, for example, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) devices. Emerging technologies, such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), are gaining popularity. However, these techniques are relatively new, often unstandardised, and may yield spurious quantification results for unsuspecting users. Moreover, merely characterising lithium content is insufficient, as the mineralogy that hosts the lithium is important for the extractable resource. Lithium X-ray lines in minerals are strongly controlled by the bonding and structure of the host mineral. Windowless electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detectors are now commonly used to detect lithium; however, these detectors cannot resolve the difference between Si, al and Li X-ray (K-) lines. Specialised high-resolution soft X-ray emission spectrometry (SXES) shows promise for some lithium compounds, but more general techniques are required. Techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) can determine the mineralogy, however, where solid solution substitution occurs, it cannot easily resolve the lithium content, ie lithium in micas. Hyperspectral technologies face similar challenges in differentiating mica species. Combining microprobe with LIBS can quantitatively determine lithium content, however, the process remains time-consuming. When the direct analysis of lithium minerals is unavailable, indirect analysis using other elemental ratios and proxies may be used to understand lithium potential. In this study, we analysed a suite of lithium-bearing pegmatites from Rajasthan, India, using a wide range of analytical techniques. We evaluate the strengths and limitations of these methods, highlighting the most effective tools for the rapid and accurate determination of lithium content and characterisation of lithium-bearing mineralogy.