Messelite is a rare phosphate mineral typically found as small, thin tabular crystals or radial clusters. It is often discovered in phosphate-rich environments where it may be associated with other iron-bearing minerals like vivianite.
Is this messelite?
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 messelite with a known reference. Messelite sits at Mohs 3.5, 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: colorless, greenish white, gray, gray white, white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: radial, scaly, tabular.
Often confused with
Messelite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside messelite
Minerals reported to co-occur with messelite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ca₂Fe²⁺(PO₄)₂·2H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5
- Density
- 3.16 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Radial, scaly, tabular
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {001}, producing curved irregular surfaces
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Principally as a late stage hydrothermal alteration product in zoned complex granite pegmatites
Where rockhounds find messelite
Classic worldwide localities
- Foote mine, near Kings Mountain, Cleveland Co., North Carolina, USA
- Palermo #1 mine, near North Groton, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, USA
- Tip Top, White Elephant, Linwood, and Bull Moose mines, near Custer, Custer Co., and the Big Chief, Ingersoll, and Dan Patch mines, near Keystone, Pennington Co., South Dakota, USA
- Prinz Heinrich von Hessen and the Messel oil slate mines, Messel, Hesse, Germany
- Hagendorf, Bavaria, Germany
- Norrö pegmatite, on Rånö Island, Sweden
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Principally as a late stage hydrothermal alteration product in zoned complex granite pegmatites. If you start seeing triphylite, anapaite, vivianite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: radial, scaly, tabular. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify messelite?+
Where is messelite found?+
What rocks look like messelite?+
What minerals are found with messelite?+
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What is messelite used for?+
Find messelite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
