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 — 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 — that is 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.
