In this paper, we show that Leavitt path algebras of weighted graphs and Leavitt path algebras of separated graphs are intimately related. We prove that any Leavitt path algebra
$L(E,\omega )$
of a row-finite vertex weighted graph
$(E,\omega )$
is
$*$
-isomorphic to the lower Leavitt path algebra of a certain bipartite separated graph
$(E(\omega ),C(\omega ))$
. For a general locally finite weighted graph
$(E, \omega )$
, we show that a certain quotient
$L_1(E,\omega )$
of
$L(E,\omega )$
is
$*$
-isomorphic to an upper Leavitt path algebra of another bipartite separated graph
$(E(w)_1,C(w)^1)$
. We furthermore introduce the algebra
${L^{\mathrm {ab}}} (E,w)$
, which is a universal tame
$*$
-algebra generated by a set of partial isometries. We draw some consequences of our results for the structure of ideals of
$L(E,\omega )$
, and we study in detail two different maximal ideals of the Leavitt algebra
$L(m,n)$
.