Bavenite is a rare beryllium-bearing silicate often found as delicate, radiating clusters or fibrous mats in pegmatitic environments. It is most easily identified by its distinctive lath-like crystal habits and association with other beryllium minerals. Collectors primarily seek out well-defined, fan-shaped sprays found in pockets of granitic pegmatites.
Is this bavenite?
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 bavenite with a known reference. Bavenite 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: white, green, pink, brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: lamellar, massive, radial.
Often confused with
Bavenite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside bavenite
Minerals reported to co-occur with bavenite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ca₄Be₂Al₂Si₉O₂₆(OH)₂
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5-6
- Density
- 2.71-2.74 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent to transparent
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Lamellar, massive, radial
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {001}, fair on {100}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- As druses in miarolitic cavities in granite and associated pegmatites, formed by alteration of beryl and other beryllium-bearing minerals
Where rockhounds find bavenite
Classic worldwide localities
- Himalaya mine, Mesa Grande district, and in the Rincon district, San Diego Co., California, USA
- Foote mine, Kings Mountain, Cleveland Co., North Carolina, USA
- Rutherford mine, Amelia, Amelia Co., Virginia, USA
- Virginia, USA
- Baveno and Val d'Ossola, Piedmont, Italy
- Strzegom (Striegau), Silesia, Poland
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: As druses in miarolitic cavities in granite and associated pegmatites, formed by alteration of beryl and other beryllium-bearing minerals. If you start seeing beryl, helvite, phenakite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: lamellar, massive, radial. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify bavenite?+
Where is bavenite found?+
Is bavenite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like bavenite?+
What minerals are found with bavenite?+
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What is bavenite used for?+
Find bavenite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
