Afghanite is a complex silicate mineral often found in association with lapis lazuli, most famously in the Sar-e-Sang mines of Afghanistan. It is highly prized by collectors for its brilliant blue color and intense orange fluorescence under long-wave ultraviolet light.
Is this afghanite?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch afghanite with a known reference. Afghanite sits at Mohs 5.5-6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: blue, colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: massive.
Often confused with
Afghanite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Afghanite leaves white, Lapis Lazuli leaves light blue; luster reads vitreous on Afghanite and dull to vitreous on Lapis Lazuli.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Afghanite leaves white, Lazurite leaves bright blue.
Often found alongside afghanite
Minerals reported to co-occur with afghanite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (Na,K)₂₂Ca₁₀(Si₂₄Al₂₄)O₉₆(SO₄)₆Cl₆
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5-6
- Density
- 2.55 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {1010}
- Fluorescence
- Strong orange under UV light
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Gemstone
- Host rock
- In thin veinlets cutting lazurite crystals (Sar-e-Sang, Afghanistan); in silicified limestone xenoliths in pumice (Pitigliano quarry, Italy)
Where rockhounds find afghanite
Classic worldwide localities
- Edwards mine, Edwards, St. Lawrence Co., New York, USA
- Sar-e-Sang, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan
- Malaya Bystraya and Tultuy lazurite deposits, near Lake Baikal, Russia
- Lyadzhuar-Darinsk, Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan
- Pitigliano quarry, near Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy
- Monte Somma, Campania, Italy
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In thin veinlets cutting lazurite crystals (Sar-e-Sang, Afghanistan); in silicified limestone xenoliths in pumice (Pitigliano quarry, Italy). If you start seeing lazurite, sodalite, nepheline in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify afghanite?+
Where is afghanite found?+
What rocks look like afghanite?+
What minerals are found with afghanite?+
What kind of rock does afghanite form in?+
What is afghanite used for?+
Find afghanite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
