A process for recovering lithium phosphate and lithium sulfate from a lithium-bearing silicate comprises the steps of: a) adding from 800 kg/t to 1600 kg/t of sulfuric acid to a slurry of the lithium-bearing silicate and from 40 kg/t to 400 kg/t of a source of fluoride to produce a leach mixture and heating said leach mixture; b) separating a lithium-bearing solution from the leach mixture; c) increasing pH of the separated lithium-bearing solution sequentially to pH 3.5 to 4, pH 5.5 to 6 then pH 10.5 to 11 to precipitate, respectively, a first, second and third set of impurities therefrom; d) separating said first, second and third sets of impurities from the lithium-bearing solution produced in step c); e) adding lime to the separated lithium-bearing solution produced in step d) to maintain a soluble calcium concentration of at least 30 mg/L; f) adding a first amount of phosphate to the separated lithium-bearing solution produced in step e) to precipitate fluorapatite, and separating and optionally recycling said fluorapatite to step a) for use as the source of fluoride; g) adding a second amount of phosphate to the separated lithium-bearing solution after stepf) to precipitate apatite, and separating said apatite; h) adding a third amount of phosphate to the separated lithium-bearing solution after step g) to precipitate lithium phosphate and produce a lithium-depleted solution; i) separating the lithium phosphate precipitate from the lithium-depleted solution produced in step h); j) precipitating lithium sulfate from a digestion mixture comprising the separated lithium phosphate precipitate and sulfuric acid and separating lithium sulfate from the digestion mixture; and k) adding alkali metal hydroxide to the separated solution from step j) to produce an alkali metal phosphate solution and recycling the alkali metal phosphate solution to any one or more of steps f), g) and h) for use as the phosphate. a) adding from 800 kg/t to 1600 kg/t of sulfuric acid to a slurry of the lithium-bearing silicate and from 40 kg/t to 400 kg/t of a source of fluoride to produce a leach mixture and heating said leach mixture; b) separating a lithium-bearing solution from the leach mixture; c) increasing pH of the separated lithium-bearing solution sequentially to pH 3.5 to 4, pH 5.5 to 6 then pH 10.5 to 11 to precipitate, respectively, a first, second and third set of impurities therefrom; d) separating said first, second and third sets of impurities from the lithium-bearing solution produced in step c); e) adding lime to the separated lithium-bearing solution produced in step d) to maintain a soluble calcium concentration of at least 30 mg/L; f) adding a first amount of phosphate to the separated lithium-bearing solution produced in step e) to precipitate fluorapatite, and separating and optionally recycling said fluorapatite to step a) for use as the source of fluoride; g) adding a second amount of phosphate to the separated lithium-bearing solution after stepf) to precipitate apatite, and separating said apatite; h) adding a third amount of phosphate to the separated lithium-bearing solution after step g) to precipitate lithium phosphate and produce a lithium-depleted solution; i) separating the lithium phosphate precipitate from the lithium-depleted solution produced in step h); j) precipitating lithium sulfate from a digestion mixture comprising the separated lithium phosphate precipitate and sulfuric acid and separating lithium sulfate from the digestion mixture; and k) adding alkali metal hydroxide to the separated solution from step j) to produce an alkali metal phosphate solution and recycling the alkali metal phosphate solution to any one or more of steps f), g) and h) for use as the phosphate. <EOS>