Huttonite is a rare thorium silicate mineral that is the monoclinic polymorph of thorite. It is typically found as a minor constituent in heavy mineral sands and requires sophisticated laboratory analysis to distinguish from similar radioactive minerals.
Is this huttonite?
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 huttonite with a known reference. Huttonite sits at Mohs 5, 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: adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, light yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: equant to prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Huttonite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Huttonite leaves white, Thorite leaves light orange to dark brown; luster reads adamantine on Huttonite and vitreous to resinous or greasy on Thorite.
How to tell apart: Zircon is the harder of the two (Mohs 7.5 vs. 5); luster reads adamantine on Huttonite and vitreous to adamantine; greasy when metamict on Zircon.
How to tell apart: Luster reads adamantine on Huttonite and resinous on Monazite.
Often found alongside huttonite
Minerals reported to co-occur with huttonite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- ThSiO₄
- Mohs hardness
- 5
- Density
- 7.1 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Equant to prismatic crystals
- Cleavage
- Distinct on {001}; another poor cleavage is of unspecified orientation
- Fluorescence
- Dull white with pink tinge under SW and LW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In beach sands (New Zealand)
Where rockhounds find huttonite
Classic worldwide localities
- Holiday mine, Hawthorne, Fitting district, Mineral Co., Nevada, USA
- Harihari, Saltwater Creek, Okirito, Five Mile Beach, Bruce Bay, north and south of the mouth of the Waikukupa River, and Gillespie's Beach, South Westland, New Zealand
- Bogatynia area, Lower Silesia, Poland
- Mont Most, Great St. Bernard, Val d'Aosta, Italy
- Kuttankuli (Kuttakuzhi), about 42 km east-southeast of Trivandrum, Kerala State, India
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In beach sands (New Zealand). If you start seeing scheelite, titanian cassiterite, uranothorite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: equant to prismatic crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify huttonite?+
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Is huttonite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like huttonite?+
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Find huttonite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
