Charoite is a strikingly beautiful, swirling purple mineral known for its distinctive fibrous and chatoyant appearance. It is exclusively found in the Murun Massif region of Russia and is often prized by lapidaries for carving into cabochons and decorative ornaments.
Is this charoite?
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 charoite with a known reference. Charoite 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 to pearly.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: lavender, violet, purple, lilac, light brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: massive.
Often confused with
Charoite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Charoite is noticeably harder (Mohs 5-6 vs. 2.5-4); luster reads vitreous to pearly on Charoite and pearly to vitreous on Lepidolite.
How to tell apart: Amethyst is the harder of the two (Mohs 7 vs. 5-6).
Often found alongside charoite
Minerals reported to co-occur with charoite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (K,Sr,Ba,Mn)₁₅-₁₆(Ca,Na)₃₂Si₇₀O₁₆₀(OH,F)₄·~3H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 5-6
- Density
- 2.54 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous to pearly
- Transparency
- Semitransparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Massive
- Cleavage
- Good in three directions
- Fluorescence
- Pale blue under SW and LW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Lapidary, Decorative, Collector
- Host rock
- In potassic feldspar metasomatites at the contact of nepheline and aegirine syenites with limestones
Where rockhounds find charoite
Classic worldwide localities
- Murun massif, between the Chara and Olekma Rivers, southwest of Olekminsk, Yakutia, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In potassic feldspar metasomatites at the contact of nepheline and aegirine syenites with limestones. If you start seeing canasite, tinaksite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify charoite?+
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Find charoite on the map
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