Genthite is a nickel-bearing silicate often found as an earthy, apple-green encrustation or botryoidal mass within weathered nickel-rich rocks. Collectors prize its vibrant green color, though it is typically soft and fragile, making it primarily a cabinet display mineral.
Is this genthite?
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 genthite with a known reference. Genthite sits at Mohs 2-3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Genthite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Genthite typically shows a dull luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: green, yellowish-green, apple-green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: botryoidal, crusts, earthy masses.
Often confused with
Genthite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Oregon Jade is the harder of the two (Mohs 6.5-7 vs. 2-3); luster reads dull on Genthite and waxy on Oregon Jade.
How to tell apart: Luster reads dull on Genthite and greasy on Serpentine.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Genthite leaves white, Malachite leaves light green; luster reads dull on Genthite and vitreous on Malachite.
Often found alongside genthite
Minerals reported to co-occur with genthite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (Ni,Mg)₄Si₃O₁₀(OH)₄·nH₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 2-3
- Density
- 2.4-2.6 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Dull
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Botryoidal, Crusts, Earthy Masses
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector, Indicator Mineral
- Host rock
- Weathered Ultrabasic Rocks
- Typical price
- $10-50 per specimen
Where rockhounds find genthite
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- New Caledonia
- Oregon, USA
- Australia
- Russia
Field-hunting tip
Look in weathered ultrabasic rocks country, the host setting where genthite typically forms. If you start seeing serpentine, quartz, nickel ores in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a botryoidal, crusts, earthy masses habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in North Carolina. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find genthite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
