Villiaumite is a rare sodium fluoride mineral prized by collectors for its intense deep red to pink color and strong fluorescence under UV light. It is typically found as equant crystals or massive grains within highly alkaline igneous environments, most notably the syenite complexes of Canada and Russia.
Is this fluorescent villiaumite?
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 fluorescent villiaumite with a known reference. Fluorescent Villiaumite sits at Mohs 2-2.5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Fluorescent Villiaumite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Fluorescent Villiaumite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: red, pink, carmine, brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: equant crystals, massive.
Often confused with
Fluorescent Villiaumite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Fluorite is the harder of the two (Mohs 4 vs. 2-2.5).
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Fluorescent Villiaumite leaves white, Realgar leaves orange-red; luster reads vitreous on Fluorescent Villiaumite and resinous on Realgar.
Often found alongside fluorescent villiaumite
Minerals reported to co-occur with fluorescent villiaumite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- NaF
- Mohs hardness
- 2-2.5
- Density
- 2.79 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Equant Crystals, Massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect Cubic
- Fluorescence
- Bright Orange to Yellow Under UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Alkaline Igneous Rocks, Nepheline Syenite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $50-500 depending on crystal size and color intensity
Where rockhounds find fluorescent villiaumite
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Mont Saint-Hilaire, Canada
- Kola Peninsula, Russia
- Los Islands, Guinea
Field-hunting tip
Look in alkaline igneous rocks, nepheline syenite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where fluorescent villiaumite typically forms. If you start seeing nepheline, sodalite, aegirine in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a equant crystals, massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in New Mexico — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find fluorescent villiaumite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
