Datolite is a silicate mineral known for its variety of colors and often complex, multi-faceted crystal growth. It is highly prized by collectors for its strong fluorescence under ultraviolet light and its ability to be polished for lapidary work.
Is this datolite?
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 datolite with a known reference. Datolite sits at Mohs 5-5.5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Datolite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Datolite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, colorless, yellow, green, reddish, brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: prismatic crystals, massive, botryoidal, granular.
Often confused with
Datolite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside datolite
Minerals reported to co-occur with datolite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CaBSiO₄(OH)
- Mohs hardness
- 5-5.5
- Density
- 2.9-3.0 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic Crystals, Massive, Botryoidal, Granular
- Cleavage
- None
- Fluorescence
- Often Bright Yellow-green Under SW UV
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Lapidary
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins, Contact Metamorphic Rocks, Basalt Cavities
- Typical price
- $10-100 per specimen
Where rockhounds find datolite
18 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Lake Superior region, USA
- Dalnegorsk, Russia
- Charcas, Mexico
- Arendal, Norway
- Trentino, Italy
U.S. states with datolite
Each link opens a state-specific list of mapped rockhounding spots that produce datolite.
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins, contact metamorphic rocks, basalt cavities country — that is the host setting where datolite typically forms. If you start seeing calcite, prehnite, danburite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic crystals, massive, botryoidal, granular habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in New Jersey, Massachusetts, California — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify datolite?+
Where is datolite found?+
Can I find datolite in the United States?+
How much is datolite worth?+
What rocks look like datolite?+
What minerals are found with datolite?+
What kind of rock does datolite form in?+
What is datolite used for?+
Find datolite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
