Canasite is a rare phyllosilicate mineral typically found in unique alkaline environments like the Kola Peninsula. It is best identified by its distinct bladed or fibrous habit and its characteristic bright yellow fluorescence under short-wave UV light.

Hardness

5-6

Mohs

Luster

Vitreous

Streak

White

Transparency

Transparent to translucent

mineralrare

Canasite

Hardness: 5-6
Luster: Vitreous
Streak: White
Transparency: Transparent to translucent

Is this canasite?

5-step field check

Run through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.

1
Test the hardness
Try to scratch canasite with a known reference. Canasite sits at Mohs 5-6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
2
Check the streak
Drag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
3
Read the luster
Hold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
4
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: brownish yellow, green yellow, light green.
5
Look at form & habit
Crystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: bladed, massive, or fibrous aggregates.

Often confused with

Canasite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.

mineral

Pectolite

Mohs 4.5-5

How to tell apart: Luster reads vitreous on Canasite and silky, subvitreous on Pectolite.

Often found alongside canasite

Minerals reported to co-occur with canasite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.

All properties

Chemical formula: K₃Na₃Ca₅Si₁₂O₃₀(OH)₄
Mohs hardness: 5-6
Density: 2.707 g/cm³
Colors: Brownish yellow Green yellow Light green
Streak: White
Luster: Vitreous
Transparency: Transparent to translucent
Crystal system: Monoclinic
Crystal habit: Bladed, massive, or fibrous aggregates
Cleavage: One, very perfect; another, perfect, at 118° to the first
Fluorescence: Bright yellow under SW UV
Rarity: Rare
Uses: Collector
Host rock: In pegmatites in a differentiated alkalic massif (Khibiny massif, Russia); in charoitic rocks (Murun massif, Russia)

Where rockhounds find canasite

Classic worldwide localities

Mts. Yukspor and Rasvumchorr, Khibiny massif, Kola Peninsula, and in the Murun massif, southwest of Olekminsk, Yakutia, Russia

Field-hunting tip

Where it forms: In pegmatites in a differentiated alkalic massif (Khibiny massif, Russia); in charoitic rocks (Murun massif, Russia). If you start seeing fenaksite, lamprophyllite, titanite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: bladed, massive, or fibrous aggregates. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.

Common questions

How do you identify canasite?+

Mohs hardness is 5-6. Luster: vitreous. The streak is white. Common colors include brownish yellow, green yellow, light green.

Where is canasite found?+

Notable localities include Mts. Yukspor and Rasvumchorr, Khibiny massif, Kola Peninsula, and in the Murun massif, southwest of Olekminsk, Yakutia, Russia.

What rocks look like canasite?+

Canasite is most often confused with Pectolite, Wollastonite, Serandite. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.

What minerals are found with canasite?+

Canasite commonly co-occurs with Fenaksite, Lamprophyllite, Titanite, Eudialyte, Nepheline, Pyroxene. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does canasite form in?+

Where it forms: In pegmatites in a differentiated alkalic massif (Khibiny massif, Russia); in charoitic rocks (Murun massif, Russia). Working float back to the host body is the standard way to chase a fresh occurrence.

What is canasite used for?+

Canasite is used in collector.

Find canasite on the map

RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.