Pretulite is a rare scandium phosphate mineral that typically occurs as tiny, colorless, sharp dipyramidal crystals. It is best known from its type locality in the Pretul area of Austria, where it is found within metamorphic schists. Due to its scarcity and minute crystal size, it is a highly sought-after rarity for advanced mineral collectors.
Is this pretulite?
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 pretulite with a known reference. Pretulite sits at Mohs ~5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pale pink.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: crystalline.
Often confused with
Pretulite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Luster reads adamantine on Pretulite and vitreous on Xenotime.
How to tell apart: Zircon is the harder of the two (Mohs 7.5 vs. ~5); luster reads adamantine on Pretulite and vitreous to adamantine; greasy when metamict on Zircon.
Often found alongside pretulite
Minerals reported to co-occur with pretulite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- ScPO₄
- Mohs hardness
- ~5
- Density
- 3.71 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Crystalline
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {100}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Rare in lazulite-quartz veins in phyllite-mica schist
Where rockhounds find pretulite
Classic worldwide localities
- Höllkogel, 12 km south-southwest of Mürzzuschlag, at Fürstenbauer, and additional localities near the Pretulalpe, Styria, Austria
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Rare in lazulite-quartz veins in phyllite-mica schist. If you start seeing lazulite, muscovite, clinochlore in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: crystalline. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify pretulite?+
Where is pretulite found?+
What rocks look like pretulite?+
What minerals are found with pretulite?+
What kind of rock does pretulite form in?+
What is pretulite used for?+
Find pretulite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
