Hingganite-(Y) is a rare beryllium silicate mineral member of the gadolinite supergroup, typically found in complex granite pegmatites. Collectors usually seek it in small, well-formed prismatic crystals that often display a distinctive yellowish-green hue.
Is this hingganite-(y)?
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 hingganite-(y) with a known reference. Hingganite-(Y) sits at Mohs 5-6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: green, yellow brown, white, light blue, light yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: aggregates, wheat sheaf.
Often confused with
Hingganite-(Y) vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside hingganite-(y)
Minerals reported to co-occur with hingganite-(y). Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- BeY(SiO₄)(OH)
- Mohs hardness
- 5-6
- Density
- 4.42-4.57 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Aggregates, wheat sheaf
- Cleavage
- None detected
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In a RE, Be-bearing granophyre (Greater Khingan Range, China); in “amazonite"-rich pegmatite in a differentiated alkalic massif (Kola Peninsula, Russia)
Where rockhounds find hingganite-(y)
Classic worldwide localities
- North Sugarloaf Mountain, Bethlehem, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, USA
- An unspecified locality in the Greater Khingan Range, Heilungkiang Province, China
- Trimouns talc deposit, six km northeast of Luzenac, Ariμege, France
- Iwaguro Sekizai quarry, Tahara area, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
- Mt. Malosa, Zomba district, Malawi
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In a RE, Be-bearing granophyre (Greater Khingan Range, China); in “amazonite"-rich pegmatite in a differentiated alkalic massif (Kola Peninsula, Russia). If you start seeing hingganite-, quartz, potassium feldspar in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: aggregates, wheat sheaf. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify hingganite-(y)?+
Where is hingganite-(y) found?+
Is hingganite-(y) safe to handle?+
What rocks look like hingganite-(y)?+
What minerals are found with hingganite-(y)?+
What kind of rock does hingganite-(y) form in?+
What is hingganite-(y) used for?+
Find hingganite-(y) on the map
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