Amakinite is a rare iron-rich member of the brucite group primarily found within kimberlite pipes. It typically appears as yellowish tabular crystals or massive aggregates that are often susceptible to alteration.
Is this amakinite?
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 amakinite with a known reference. Amakinite sits at Mohs 3.5-4, 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: pearly.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow green, light green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: irregular grains.
Often confused with
Amakinite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside amakinite
Minerals reported to co-occur with amakinite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Fe(OH)₂
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4
- Density
- 2.925-2.98 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Pearly
- Transparency
- Semitransparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Irregular grains
- Cleavage
- Poor, observed in some grains
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Noted in drill core, in thin veins and pockets in kimberlite
Where rockhounds find amakinite
Classic worldwide localities
- Udachnaya-Vostochnaya kimberlite pipe, Daldyn-Alakit region, western Sakha, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Noted in drill core, in thin veins and pockets in kimberlite. If you start seeing serpentine, carbonate in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: irregular grains. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify amakinite?+
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What rocks look like amakinite?+
What minerals are found with amakinite?+
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Find amakinite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
