Miserite is a rare potassium-calcium silicate mineral primarily recognized for its distinctive pink to rose-red coloration. It is most commonly found as massive or foliated aggregates, frequently occurring in association with charoite in alkaline rock complexes.
Is this miserite?
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 miserite with a known reference. Miserite 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: pink, lilac pink, reddish brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: massive, foliated, fibrous aggregates.
Often confused with
Miserite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside miserite
Minerals reported to co-occur with miserite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- K₁.₅-x(Ca,Y,REE)₅[Si₆O₁₅][Si₂O₇](OH,F)₂·yH₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5-6
- Density
- 2.84-2.93 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Massive, foliated, fibrous aggregates
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {100}, imperfect on {010}
- Fluorescence
- Clear strong yellow under SW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In banded metamorphosed shales at the contact with a dike of nepheline syenite (Wilson Springs, Arkansas, USA); in a carbonatite vein (Kipawa Lake, Canada)
Where rockhounds find miserite
Classic worldwide localities
- Wilson Springs (Potash Sulphur Springs) mine, between Hot Springs and Magnet Cove, Garland Co., Arkansas, and at Wausau, Marathon Co., Wisconsin, USA
- Dara-i-Pioz massif, Alai Range, Tien Shan, Tajikistan
- Murun massif, southwest of Olekminsk, Yakutia, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In banded metamorphosed shales at the contact with a dike of nepheline syenite (Wilson Springs, Arkansas, USA); in a carbonatite vein (Kipawa Lake, Canada). If you start seeing wollastonite, orthoclase, aegirine in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: massive, foliated, fibrous aggregates. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find miserite on the map
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