Pink feldspar is typically a potassium-rich variety of orthoclase or microcline, often colored by trace amounts of iron or microscopic hematite inclusions. It is a fundamental component of granite and is highly prized by collectors for its pleasing salmon-pink color and cleavage faces. Collectors often find high-quality crystals in pegmatite pockets, though it frequently occurs as a massive mineral in larger igneous intrusions.
Is this pink feldspar?
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 pink feldspar with a known reference. Pink Feldspar sits at Mohs 6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Pink Feldspar leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Pink Feldspar typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pink, salmon, flesh-colored.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: prismatic crystals, massive, granular.
Often confused with
Pink Feldspar vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside pink feldspar
Minerals reported to co-occur with pink feldspar. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- KAlSi₃O₈
- Mohs hardness
- 6
- Density
- 2.5-2.6 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic Crystals, Massive, Granular
- Cleavage
- Perfect in Two Directions
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Lapidary, Decorative
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $5-30 per specimen
Where rockhounds find pink feldspar
3 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Norway
- USA
- Canada
- Russia
- Madagascar
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country, the host setting where pink feldspar typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, muscovite, biotite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a 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 New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify pink feldspar?+
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How much is pink feldspar worth?+
What rocks look like pink feldspar?+
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Find pink feldspar on the map
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