Babingtonite is a striking silicate mineral typically found as lustrous, jet-black tabular crystals lining cavities in basaltic rocks. It is most famous among collectors for the classic, pristine crystals occurring in the hydrothermal veins of Massachusetts and the zeolite-rich cavities of India. It is easily distinguished by its vitreous luster and characteristic triclinic crystal morphology.
Is this babingtonite?
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 babingtonite with a known reference. Babingtonite 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: brown.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black, brownish black, greenish black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: druse, radial.
Often confused with
Babingtonite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Babingtonite leaves brown, Augite leaves gray-green.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Babingtonite leaves brown, Epidote leaves grayish white.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Babingtonite leaves brown, Hornblende leaves grayish-white.
Often found alongside babingtonite
Minerals reported to co-occur with babingtonite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ca₂Fe²⁺Fe³⁺Si₅O₁₄(OH)
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5-6
- Density
- 3.34-3.37 g/cm³
- Streak
- Brown
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Opaque to faintly translucent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Druse, radial
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {001}, good on {010} and {100}
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In veins cutting granite pegmatite and diorite; in cavities and vugs in mafic volcanic rocks and gneisses; in skarns
Where rockhounds find babingtonite
Classic worldwide localities
- Lane's quarry, Westfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts, USA
- Cheapside and Deerfield quarries, East Deerfield, Franklin Co., Massachusetts, USA
- Winchester Highlands, Uxbridge, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, USA
- Paterson, Passaic Co., and Mine Hill, Morris Co., New Jersey, USA
- Brastad mine, Oyestad, near Arendal, Norway
- Gronsjöberg, Dalarma, Sweden
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In veins cutting granite pegmatite and diorite; in cavities and vugs in mafic volcanic rocks and gneisses; in skarns. If you start seeing prehnite, calcite, epidote in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: druse, radial. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify babingtonite?+
Where is babingtonite found?+
What rocks look like babingtonite?+
What minerals are found with babingtonite?+
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Find babingtonite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
