Burpalite is a rare zirconium silicate mineral that typically forms colorless to pale yellow prismatic crystals in alkaline pegmatites. It is primarily sought after by advanced mineral collectors and is found in specialized geological environments like the Kola Peninsula and Mont Saint-Hilaire.
Is this burpalite?
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 burpalite with a known reference. Burpalite sits at Mohs 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: colorless, yellowish.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Burpalite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside burpalite
Minerals reported to co-occur with burpalite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Na₂CaZr(Si₂O₇)F₂
- Mohs hardness
- 5-6
- Density
- 3.33 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic crystals
- Cleavage
- Good
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In a fenitized hornfelsic sandstone in the contact zone of an alkalic intrusive
Where rockhounds find burpalite
Classic worldwide localities
- Burpala massif, about 120 km north of Lake Baikal, eastern Siberia, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In a fenitized hornfelsic sandstone in the contact zone of an alkalic intrusive. If you start seeing låvenite, albite, nepheline in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: prismatic crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify burpalite?+
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What rocks look like burpalite?+
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Find burpalite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
