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 — that is 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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Can I find pink feldspar in the United States?+
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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