Kyanite is highly recognizable due to its distinct bladed habit and variable hardness depending on the direction of the blade. It is an index mineral for metamorphic environments and is commonly found in schist and gneiss, often associated with staurolite and garnet.
Spotting kyanite in the field
Field marks- 1
Blue bladed crystals, flat and elongated like a knife blade
- 2
Two different hardnesses on the same crystal: about 4.5 along the blade, about 7 across it
- 3
One perfect cleavage running the length of the blade
Kyanite has the single most memorable field test in mineralogy. Take a steel point and scratch along the length of a blade: it marks easily. Scratch across the width: it will not. That directional hardness is unique among common minerals and settles the identification instantly. It forms in high-pressure metamorphic rocks, so look in schist and gneiss, often with garnet and staurolite.
Straight answers
- Is it worth cutting?
- Difficult. The directional hardness and perfect cleavage make it awkward to cut and fragile in wear, so it is more often kept as a specimen than cut.
- What is it really worth?
- Low as material. Deep blue, well-formed bladed crystals on matrix are the collectible form.
- Can you legally keep it?
- Ordinary personal-use collecting rules apply.
Often confused with
Kyanite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside kyanite
Minerals reported to co-occur with kyanite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Al₂SiO₅
- Mohs hardness
- 4.5-7
- Density
- 3.5-3.7 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Bladed Crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Gemstone, Industrial, Collector
- Host rock
- Metamorphic Rocks
- Typical price
- $10-50 per specimen for typical blades, $100+ for rare transparent gems.
Where rockhounds find kyanite
56 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Switzerland
- USA (North Carolina)
- Brazil
- Nepal
- Kenya
U.S. states with kyanite
Each link opens a state-specific list of mapped rockhounding spots that produce kyanite.
Field-hunting tip
Look in metamorphic rocks country, the host setting where kyanite typically forms. If you start seeing staurolite, garnet, mica in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a bladed crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify kyanite?+
Where is kyanite found?+
Can I find kyanite in the United States?+
How much is kyanite worth?+
What rocks look like kyanite?+
What minerals are found with kyanite?+
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Find kyanite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
