Nifontovite is a rare calcium borate mineral typically found in complex skarn environments. It is most easily identified by its colorless to white prismatic or tabular crystal habits, often occurring as delicate clusters within host rocks like charoite or limestone.

Hardness

3.5-5

Mohs

Luster

Vitreous to silky

Streak

White

Transparency

Semitransparent to transparent

mineralrare

Nifontovite

Hardness: 3.5-5
Luster: Vitreous to silky
Streak: White
Transparency: Semitransparent to transparent

Is this nifontovite?

5-step field check

Run through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.

1
Test the hardness
Try to scratch nifontovite with a known reference. Nifontovite sits at Mohs 3.5-5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
2
Check the streak
Drag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
3
Read the luster
Hold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous to silky.
4
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: colorless, gray.
5
Look at form & habit
Crystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, radiating aggregates, massive.

Often confused with

Nifontovite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.

mineral

Danburite

Mohs 7-7.25

How to tell apart: Danburite is the harder of the two (Mohs 7-7.25 vs. 3.5-5).

Often found alongside nifontovite

Minerals reported to co-occur with nifontovite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.

All properties

Chemical formula: Ca₃[BO(OH)₂]₆(H₂O)₂
Mohs hardness: 3.5-5
Density: 2.35-2.36 g/cm³
Colors: Colorless Gray
Streak: White
Luster: Vitreous to silky
Transparency: Semitransparent to transparent
Crystal system: Monoclinic
Crystal habit: Tabular crystals, radiating aggregates, massive
Cleavage: One, || elongation, poor
Fluorescence: Violet under LW UV
Rarity: Rare
Uses: Collector
Host rock: In a skarn formed by quartz diorite intruding limestone (Novofrolovo mine, Russia); near gehlenite-spurrite skarn formed by hydrothermal alteration (Fuka, Japan)

Where rockhounds find nifontovite

Classic worldwide localities

Novofrolovo mine, near Krasnoturinsk, Turinsk district, Northern Ural Mountains, Russia
Fuka, near Bicchu, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Charcas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Field-hunting tip

Where it forms: In a skarn formed by quartz diorite intruding limestone (Novofrolovo mine, Russia); near gehlenite-spurrite skarn formed by hydrothermal alteration (Fuka, Japan). If you start seeing grossular-andradite, szaibélyite, sibirskite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular crystals, radiating aggregates, massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.

Common questions

How do you identify nifontovite?+

Mohs hardness is 3.5-5. Luster: vitreous to silky. The streak is white. Common colors include colorless, gray.

Where is nifontovite found?+

Notable localities include Novofrolovo mine, near Krasnoturinsk, Turinsk district, Northern Ural Mountains, Russia; Fuka, near Bicchu, Okayama Prefecture, Japan; Charcas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

What rocks look like nifontovite?+

Nifontovite is most often confused with Danburite, Datolite, Gowerite. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.

What minerals are found with nifontovite?+

Nifontovite commonly co-occurs with Grossular-andradite, Szaibélyite, Sibirskite, Calciborite, Dolomite, Calcite. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does nifontovite form in?+

What is nifontovite used for?+

Nifontovite is used in collector.

Find nifontovite on the map

RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.