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.
Is this canasite?
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 canasite with a known reference. Canasite 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. Canasite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Canasite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow, yellowish-green, brownish.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal 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.
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
- K₂Na₄Ca₂Si₁₂O₃₀(OH,F)₄
- Mohs hardness
- 5-6
- Density
- 2.47 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Bladed, Massive, Or Fibrous Aggregates
- Cleavage
- Perfect On {010}
- Fluorescence
- Bright Yellow Under SW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Alkaline Pegmatites and Hydrothermally Altered Zones
- Typical price
- $20-150 depending on specimen size and fluorescence intensity
Where rockhounds find canasite
Classic worldwide localities
- Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia
- Murun Massif, Yakutia, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Look in alkaline pegmatites and hydrothermally altered zones country — that is the host setting where canasite typically forms. If you start seeing nepheline, aegirine, microcline in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a bladed, massive, or fibrous aggregates habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find canasite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
