Burbankite is a complex rare-earth carbonate typically found in alkaline igneous complexes and carbonatites. It is often discovered as hexagonal prismatic crystals or irregular grains, and collectors value it for its distinct orange fluorescence under ultraviolet light. It is primarily sought after by advanced mineral collectors specializing in rare-earth species.
Is this burbankite?
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 burbankite with a known reference. Burbankite 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.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, grayish yellow, orange, pink.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: prismatic crystals, grains, massive.
Often confused with
Burbankite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside burbankite
Minerals reported to co-occur with burbankite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (Na,Ca)₃(Sr,Ba,Ce)₃(CO₃)₅
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4
- Density
- 3.50-3.58 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic crystals, grains, massive
- Cleavage
- On {1010}, distinct to imperfect
- Fluorescence
- Pink under SW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Typically an abundant accessory mineral in carbonatites; in an intrusive alkalic gabbro-syenite complex; may be authigenic
Where rockhounds find burbankite
Classic worldwide localities
- Vermiculite prospects at the head of Big Sandy Creek, Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, about 40 km east of Box Elder, Hill Co., Montana, USA
- Green River Formation, Utah, Wyoming, USA
- Mont Saint-Hilaire, and in the Miron quarry, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Chipman Lake, Ontario, Canada
- Qaqarssuk carbonatite, near Sukkertoppen, and the Grønnedal-Ika complex, Greenland
- Found in Brazil, at Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Typically an abundant accessory mineral in carbonatites; in an intrusive alkalic gabbro-syenite complex; may be authigenic. If you start seeing ancylite, calkinsite, lanthanite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: prismatic crystals, grains, massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify burbankite?+
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What rocks look like burbankite?+
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Find burbankite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
