Okenite is famous for its distinct, fuzzy-looking white spheres that resemble cotton balls. These delicate, needle-like crystals are commonly found inside basalt geodes in India, often associated with other zeolites and apophyllite.
Is this okenite?
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 okenite with a known reference. Okenite sits at Mohs 4.5-5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Okenite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Okenite typically shows a pearly luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, colorless, yellowish.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: cotton-ball-like spherical aggregates of acicular radiating crystals.
Often confused with
Okenite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside okenite
Minerals reported to co-occur with okenite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ca₁₀Si₁₈O₄₆·18H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 4.5-5
- Density
- 2.3 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Pearly
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Cotton-ball-like Spherical Aggregates of Acicular Radiating Crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Basaltic Vugs and Cavities
- Typical price
- $10-100 depending on specimen size and quality
Where rockhounds find okenite
Classic worldwide localities
- Pune district, Maharashtra, India
- Faroe Islands
- Greenland
- Quebec, Canada
Field-hunting tip
Look in basaltic vugs and cavities country, the host setting where okenite typically forms. If you start seeing apophyllite, prehnite, heulandite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a cotton-ball-like spherical aggregates of acicular radiating crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find okenite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
