Nepheline is a primary feldspathoid mineral found in igneous rocks that are poor in silica. Collectors should look for its characteristic greasy luster on fracture surfaces and its association with other alkaline minerals like aegirine or sodalite.
Is this nepheline?
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 nepheline with a known reference. Nepheline 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. Nepheline leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Nepheline typically shows a vitreous to greasy luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, gray, yellowish, reddish, brownish.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: short prismatic crystals, massive, granular.
Often confused with
Nepheline vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside nepheline
Minerals reported to co-occur with nepheline. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (Na,K)AlSiO₄
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5-6
- Density
- 2.55-2.66 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous to Greasy
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Short Prismatic Crystals, Massive, Granular
- Cleavage
- Poor in Two Directions
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Industrial
- Host rock
- Silica-undersaturated Igneous Rocks Like Syenites and Phonolites
- Typical price
- $5-30 for small to cabinet sized specimens
Where rockhounds find nepheline
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Kola Peninsula, Russia
- Bancroft, Ontario, Canada
- Mount Vesuvius, Italy
- Arkansas, USA
- Oslo region, Norway
Field-hunting tip
Look in silica-undersaturated igneous rocks like syenites and phonolites country — that is the host setting where nepheline typically forms. If you start seeing aegirine, microcline, sodalite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a short prismatic crystals, massive, granular habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Arkansas — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find nepheline on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
