Greifensteinite is a rare phosphate mineral characterized by its attractive pale green to brownish-green color and bladed habit. It is found primarily in granite pegmatites and is often associated with other rare phosphate species in complex parageneses. Collectors primarily find it as small, delicate crystal clusters within vugs and cavities in host granite rocks.
Is this greifensteinite?
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 greifensteinite with a known reference. Greifensteinite sits at Mohs 4-5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Greifensteinite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Greifensteinite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pale green, yellow-green, brownish-green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: bladed crystals, radial aggregates, crusts.
Often confused with
Greifensteinite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside greifensteinite
Minerals reported to co-occur with greifensteinite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ca₂Be₄(Fe²⁺,Mn²⁺)₅(PO₄)₆(OH)₄·6H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 4-5
- Density
- 2.95 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Bladed Crystals, Radial Aggregates, Crusts
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $50-300 per specimen depending on crystal size and quality
Where rockhounds find greifensteinite
Classic worldwide localities
- Greifenstein, Ehrenfriedersdorf, Saxony, Germany
- Pala District, California, USA
- Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where greifensteinite typically forms. If you start seeing apatite, triplite, quartz in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a bladed crystals, radial aggregates, crusts habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify greifensteinite?+
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How much is greifensteinite worth?+
What rocks look like greifensteinite?+
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Find greifensteinite on the map
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