Bazzite is a rare scandium-rich member of the beryl group, often appearing as tiny, vibrant blue to blue-green prismatic crystals. Collectors typically find them in alpine-type veins or granite pegmatites associated with other rare earth minerals. They are highly prized for their intense color, though crystals are usually quite small.
Is this bazzite?
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 bazzite with a known reference. Bazzite sits at Mohs 6.5-7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: pale bluish white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: azure blue, dark blue.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: crystalline, prismatic.
Often confused with
Bazzite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Bazzite leaves pale bluish white, Beryl leaves white.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Bazzite leaves pale bluish white, Aquamarine leaves white.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Bazzite leaves pale bluish white, Euclase leaves white.
Often found alongside bazzite
Minerals reported to co-occur with bazzite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Be₃Sc₂Si₆O₁₈
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 2.77-2.85 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Pale bluish white
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Semitransparent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Crystalline, prismatic
- Cleavage
- Indistinct on {0001}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In miarolitic cavities in granite (Baveno, Italy); in alpine veins (Switzerland); in granite pegmatite (Heftetjern, Norway)
Where rockhounds find bazzite
Classic worldwide localities
- Mts. Antero and White, Chaffee Co., Colorado, USA
- Baveno, Piedmont, Italy
- Val Strem, in Graubünden, Switzerland
- Witenalp, Switzerland
- Wiler, Reusstal, Switzerland
- Stollen Oberaar, Grimsel Pass, Switzerland
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In miarolitic cavities in granite (Baveno, Italy); in alpine veins (Switzerland); in granite pegmatite (Heftetjern, Norway). If you start seeing quartz, orthoclase, muscovite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: crystalline, prismatic. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify bazzite?+
Where is bazzite found?+
Is bazzite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like bazzite?+
What minerals are found with bazzite?+
What kind of rock does bazzite form in?+
What is bazzite used for?+
Find bazzite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
