Morinite is a rare phosphate mineral found in complex granite pegmatites. Collectors usually look for its distinctive pink to flesh-red prismatic crystals associated with other phosphate minerals or beryl.
Is this morinite?
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 morinite with a known reference. Morinite sits at Mohs 4.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Morinite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Morinite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pink, flesh-red, white, colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: short prismatic crystals, fibrous, massive.
Often confused with
Morinite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside morinite
Minerals reported to co-occur with morinite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- NaCa₂Be₂Al(PO₄)₃F₂·2H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 4.5
- Density
- 3.31 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Short Prismatic Crystals, Fibrous, Massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect On {010}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $20-150 thumbnail specimens
Where rockhounds find morinite
Classic worldwide localities
- Tip Top Mine, South Dakota, USA
- Silver Coin Mine, Montana, USA
- Hagendorf-Pleystein, Germany
- Mangualde, Portugal
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country, the host setting where morinite typically forms. If you start seeing beryl, triplite, albite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a short prismatic crystals, fibrous, massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find morinite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
