Bikitaite is a rare lithium-bearing zeolite mineral typically found in complex granite pegmatites. It forms small, clear to white prismatic crystals often associated with other lithium minerals like petalite and eucryptite.
Is this bikitaite?
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 bikitaite with a known reference. Bikitaite sits at Mohs 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, colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: aggregates.
Often confused with
Bikitaite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside bikitaite
Minerals reported to co-occur with bikitaite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- LiAlSi₂O₆·H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 6
- Density
- 2.29-2.30 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Aggregates
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {100}, good on {001}
- Fluorescence
- Butter yellow under SW and LW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- As a late-formed mineral in fractures in lithium-rich pegmatites
Where rockhounds find bikitaite
Classic worldwide localities
- Foote mine, Kings Mountain, Cleveland Co., North Carolina, USA
- Bikita, Zimbabwe
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: As a late-formed mineral in fractures in lithium-rich pegmatites. If you start seeing eucryptite, quartz, petalite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: aggregates. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify bikitaite?+
Where is bikitaite found?+
What rocks look like bikitaite?+
What minerals are found with bikitaite?+
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What is bikitaite used for?+
Find bikitaite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
