Carnallite is a soft, deliquescent halide mineral primarily found in marine evaporite deposits. It often appears as massive or granular aggregates that dissolve easily in water and should be stored in a dry environment to prevent degradation.
Is this carnallite?
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 carnallite with a known reference. Carnallite sits at Mohs 2.5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Carnallite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Carnallite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, colorless, yellow, reddish.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: granular.
Often confused with
Carnallite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside carnallite
Minerals reported to co-occur with carnallite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- KMgCl₃·6H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5
- Density
- 1.6 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Granular
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Industrial, Collector
- Host rock
- Evaporite Deposits
- Typical price
- $10-50 per specimen
Where rockhounds find carnallite
4 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Stassfurt, Germany
- Solikamsk, Russia
- Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
- Beresniki, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Look in evaporite deposits country — that is the host setting where carnallite typically forms. If you start seeing sylvite, halite, kieserite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a granular habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Utah, Nevada — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify carnallite?+
Where is carnallite found?+
Can I find carnallite in the United States?+
How much is carnallite worth?+
What rocks look like carnallite?+
What minerals are found with carnallite?+
What kind of rock does carnallite form in?+
What is carnallite used for?+
Find carnallite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
