Lemoynite is a rare silicate mineral primarily known from alkaline pegmatites and intrusive complexes. Collectors should look for delicate, radiating sprays or acicular clusters of white-to-colorless crystals perched on matrix with minerals like aegirine or serandite.
Is this lemoynite?
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 lemoynite with a known reference. Lemoynite sits at Mohs 4 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Lemoynite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Lemoynite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, colorless, yellowish-white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: prismatic to acicular crystals, often as fibrous aggregates or radial clusters.
Often confused with
Lemoynite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Eudialyte is the harder of the two (Mohs 5-6 vs. 4).
How to tell apart: Zircon is the harder of the two (Mohs 7.5 vs. 4); luster reads vitreous on Lemoynite and adamantine on Zircon.
How to tell apart: Analcite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5-5.5 vs. 4).
Often found alongside lemoynite
Minerals reported to co-occur with lemoynite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (Na,K)₂CaZr₂Si₁₀O₂₆·5-6H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 4
- Density
- 2.38 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic to Acicular Crystals, Often as Fibrous Aggregates or Radial Clusters
- Cleavage
- Perfect On {010}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Alkaline Igneous Rocks, Specifically in Pegmatites and Miarolitic Cavities
- Typical price
- $20-150 for thumbnail specimens
Where rockhounds find lemoynite
Classic worldwide localities
- Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada
- Narssarssuk, Greenland
- Khibiny Massif, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Look in alkaline igneous rocks, specifically in pegmatites and miarolitic cavities country — that is the host setting where lemoynite typically forms. If you start seeing aegirine, microcline, nepheline in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic to acicular crystals, often as fibrous aggregates or radial clusters habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find lemoynite on the map
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