Dypingite is a secondary magnesium carbonate mineral that typically forms as delicate white crusts or platy aggregates in weathered ultramafic environments. Collectors often find it as a fine-grained, chalky coating on serpentine rocks, where it is frequently misidentified as hydromagnesite.

Hardness

2.5

Mohs

Luster

Pearly

Streak

White

Transparency

Translucent

mineraluncommon

Dypingite

Hardness: 2.5
Luster: Pearly
Streak: White
Transparency: Translucent

Is this dypingite?

5-step field check

Run through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.

1
Test the hardness
Try to scratch dypingite with a known reference. Dypingite sits at Mohs 2.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
2
Check the streak
Drag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Dypingite leaves a white streak.
3
Read the luster
Hold the specimen under a strong light. Dypingite typically shows a pearly luster.
4
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: white, colorless, pale blue.
5
Look at form & habit
Crystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: platy, foliated, or powdery crusts.

Often confused with

Dypingite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.

mineral

Hydromagnesite

Mohs 3.5

How to tell apart: Hydromagnesite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5 vs. 2.5).

How to tell apart: Luster reads pearly on Dypingite and vitreous on Artinite.

How to tell apart: Magnesite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5-4.5 vs. 2.5); luster reads pearly on Dypingite and vitreous on Magnesite.

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Often found alongside dypingite

Minerals reported to co-occur with dypingite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.

All properties

Chemical formula: Mg₅(CO₃)₄(OH)₂·5H₂O
Mohs hardness: 2.5
Density: 2.16 g/cm³
Colors: White Colorless Pale Blue
Streak: White
Luster: Pearly
Transparency: Translucent
Crystal system: Monoclinic
Crystal habit: Platy, Foliated, Or Powdery Crusts
Cleavage: Perfect
Fluorescence: White to Light Blue Under SW UV
Rarity: Uncommon
Uses: Collector, Scientific Research
Host rock: Altered Ultramafic Rocks and Serpentinite
Typical price: $15-60 thumbnail

Where rockhounds find dypingite

Classic worldwide localities

Dypingdal, Norway
Sierra Nevada, Spain
Woodsreef, Australia
New Idria, USA

Field-hunting tip

Look in altered ultramafic rocks and serpentinite country, the host setting where dypingite typically forms. If you start seeing hydromagnesite, serpentine, brucite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a platy, foliated, or powdery crusts habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.

Common questions

How do you identify dypingite?+

Mohs hardness is 2.5. It typically shows a pearly luster. The streak is white. Common colors include white, colorless, pale blue.

Where is dypingite found?+

Notable localities include Dypingdal, Norway; Sierra Nevada, Spain; Woodsreef, Australia; New Idria, USA.

How much is dypingite worth?+

Typical asking prices fall in the range of $15-60 thumbnail. Quality, size, and provenance can move individual specimens well outside that range.

What rocks look like dypingite?+

Dypingite is most often confused with Hydromagnesite, Artinite, Magnesite. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.

What minerals are found with dypingite?+

Dypingite commonly co-occurs with Hydromagnesite, Serpentine, Brucite, Aragonite. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does dypingite form in?+

Dypingite typically forms in altered ultramafic rocks and serpentinite. Working float back to the host body is the standard way to chase a fresh occurrence.

What is dypingite used for?+

Dypingite is used in collector, scientific research.

Find dypingite on the map

RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.