Melcherite is a rare niobium-bearing member of the pyrochlore supergroup found in alkaline igneous complexes. It typically presents as small, beige, octahedral crystals embedded within carbonatite rock, often identified through professional mineralogical testing due to its close similarity to other pyrochlore species.
Is this melcherite?
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 melcherite with a known reference. Melcherite 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: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: beige.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: octahedral to pseudo-octahedral crystals.
Often confused with
Melcherite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Melcherite leaves white, Pyrochlore leaves brown.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Melcherite leaves white, Latrappite leaves gray; luster reads vitreous on Melcherite and adamantine on Latrappite.
Often found alongside melcherite
Minerals reported to co-occur with melcherite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ba₂Na₂Mg[Nb₆O₁₉]·6H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 5
- Density
- 3.733 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Octahedral to pseudo-octahedral crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {0001}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In a vug in dolomitic carbonatite
Where rockhounds find melcherite
Classic worldwide localities
- Jacupiranga mine, Cajati county, São Paulo state, Brazil
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In a vug in dolomitic carbonatite. If you start seeing dolomite, calcite, magnetite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: octahedral to pseudo-octahedral crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify melcherite?+
Where is melcherite found?+
What rocks look like melcherite?+
What minerals are found with melcherite?+
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Find melcherite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
