Dovyrenite is a rare calcium-zirconium silicate mineral discovered in the contact metamorphic zones of the Dovyren Massif in Russia. It typically appears as light brown to colorless prismatic crystals or radial aggregates within skarn deposits, making it a highly sought-after rarity for advanced collectors.
Is this dovyrenite?
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 dovyrenite with a known reference. Dovyrenite sits at Mohs 3-4, 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.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: prismatic.
Often confused with
Dovyrenite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside dovyrenite
Minerals reported to co-occur with dovyrenite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ca₆Zr(Si₂O₇)₂(OH)₄
- Mohs hardness
- 3-4
- Density
- 3.034 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic
- Cleavage
- Perfect on (010); imperfect on (100), (001) and (140)
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- An alteration product of Zr-bearing and zirconium minerals in veins of vesuvianite-foshagite skarn in carbonate xenoliths in a subvolcanic layered gabbro-peridotite massif
Where rockhounds find dovyrenite
Classic worldwide localities
- Dovyren Bald Mountain (Ioko-Dovyren layered massif), Siberia, Russia (type locality)
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: An alteration product of Zr-bearing and zirconium minerals in veins of vesuvianite-foshagite skarn in carbonate xenoliths in a subvolcanic layered gabbro-peridotite massif. If you start seeing fassaitic pyroxene, perovskite, hydrogarnets in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: prismatic. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify dovyrenite?+
Where is dovyrenite found?+
What rocks look like dovyrenite?+
What minerals are found with dovyrenite?+
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Find dovyrenite on the map
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