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 4-4.5, 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 to pearly on cleavages.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pink, colorless, white, light pink.
- 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
- NaCa₂Al₂(PO₄)₂(OH)F₄·2H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 4-4.5
- Density
- 2.94-2.96 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous to pearly on cleavages
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Short prismatic crystals, fibrous, massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {100}; imperfect on {001}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- An uncommon late-stage mineral in complex granite pegmatites
Where rockhounds find morinite
Classic worldwide localities
- Hugo mine, 1.5 km south of Keystone, Pennington Co., South Dakota, USA
- Stewart mine, Pala, San Diego Co., California, USA
- Silver Coin mine, near Valmy, Iron Point district, Humboldt Co., Nevada, USA
- Montebras, Creuse, France
- Greifensteine, near Ehrenfriedersdorf, Saxony, and at Hagendorf, Bavaria, Germany
- Gunheath china clay pit, St. Austell, Cornwall, England
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: An uncommon late-stage mineral in complex granite pegmatites. If you start seeing montebrasite, apatite, augelite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: short prismatic crystals, fibrous, massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify morinite?+
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Find morinite on the map
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