Lazulite is a distinct magnesium aluminum phosphate mineral often found in brilliant azure blue hues within metamorphic environments. Collectors typically look for its sharp, well-formed monoclinic dipyramidal crystals, though it also occurs in granular or massive forms. It is frequently mistaken for lazurite, but lazulite is distinct due to its hardness and specific geological associations with kyanite and quartz.
Is this lazulite?
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 lazulite with a known reference. Lazulite sits at Mohs 5.5-6, 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: azure blue, blue, sky blue, violet blue, blue green, light blue, black blue.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: massive, pyramidal.
Often confused with
Lazulite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside lazulite
Minerals reported to co-occur with lazulite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- MgAl₂(PO₄)₂(OH)₂
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5-6
- Density
- 3.122-3.240 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent, may be nearly opaque
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Massive, pyramidal
- Cleavage
- Poor to good on {110}; indistinct on {101}
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector, Lapidary
- Host rock
- Disseminated in metamorphic quartzites, schists and quartz veins; in the border zones of complex granite pegmatites; in alluvium and colluvium
Where rockhounds find lazulite
6 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Graves Mountain, Lincoln Co., Georgia, USA
- Champion mine and the nearby Vulcanus claim, White Mountains, Mono Co., California, USA
- Färbergraben and Höllgraben, near Werfen, Salzburg, Austria
- Hålsjöberg, Värmland, and in the Västanå iron mine, Nasüm, Skåne, Sweden
- Fine crystals along Cross-cut Creek, Big Fish River–Rapid Creek area, Yukon Territory, Canada
- Mt. Bity, Ranomainty, and near Jamalezo, Madagascar
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Disseminated in metamorphic quartzites, schists and quartz veins; in the border zones of complex granite pegmatites; in alluvium and colluvium. If you start seeing quartz, andalusite, rutile in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: massive, pyramidal. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify lazulite?+
Where is lazulite found?+
Can I find lazulite in the United States?+
What rocks look like lazulite?+
What minerals are found with lazulite?+
What kind of rock does lazulite form in?+
What is lazulite used for?+
Find lazulite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
