Baratovite is a very rare phyllosilicate mineral primarily known from the alkaline pegmatites of the Dara-i-Pioz massif. It typically forms thin, white to pale pink platy or lamellar crystals that display a distinct pearly luster.
Is this baratovite?
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 baratovite with a known reference. Baratovite 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: vitreous, pearly in part.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pearl white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: aggregates, platy.
Often confused with
Baratovite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside baratovite
Minerals reported to co-occur with baratovite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- KLi₃Ca₇Ti₂Si₁₂O₃₆F₂
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4
- Density
- 2.92 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous, pearly in part
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Aggregates, platy
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {001}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- An accessory mineral in quartz-albite-aegirine veinlets and in albitites in syenites (Dara-i-Pioz massif, Tajikistan)
Where rockhounds find baratovite
Classic worldwide localities
- Dara-i-Pioz massif, Alai Range, Tien Shan, Tajikistan
- Iwagi Islet, Ehime Prefecture, Japan
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: An accessory mineral in quartz-albite-aegirine veinlets and in albitites in syenites (Dara-i-Pioz massif, Tajikistan). If you start seeing miserite, ekanite, titanite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: aggregates, platy. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify baratovite?+
Where is baratovite found?+
What rocks look like baratovite?+
What minerals are found with baratovite?+
What kind of rock does baratovite form in?+
What is baratovite used for?+
Find baratovite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
