Rinkite-(Ce) is a rare sorosilicate mineral primarily found in nepheline syenites and related alkaline intrusive rocks. It typically forms tabular, honey-yellow to brownish crystals and is sought after by collectors specializing in rare earth element minerals.
Is this rinkite-(ce)?
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 rinkite-(ce) with a known reference. Rinkite-(Ce) sits at Mohs 4-5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: pale yellow, grayish brown, white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous on fractures, resinous to greasy on cleavages.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: reddish brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, prismatic, radiating aggregates.
Often confused with
Rinkite-(Ce) vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Wöhlerite is the harder of the two (Mohs 6-6.5 vs. 4-5).
How to tell apart: Rinkite-(Ce) is noticeably harder (Mohs 4-5 vs. 2-3); luster reads vitreous on fractures, resinous to greasy on cleavages on Rinkite-(Ce) and submetallic on cleavages on Lamprophyllite.
Often found alongside rinkite-(ce)
Minerals reported to co-occur with rinkite-(ce). Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ca₂(CaCe)Na(NaCa)Ti(Si₂O₇)₂(OF)F₂
- Mohs hardness
- 4-5
- Density
- 3.18-3.44 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Pale yellow, grayish brown, white
- Luster
- Vitreous on fractures, resinous to greasy on cleavages
- Transparency
- Opaque, translucent in thin fragments
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular crystals, prismatic, radiating aggregates
- Cleavage
- Distinct on {100}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Characteristic of some nepheline syenites and related pegmatites
Where rockhounds find rinkite-(ce)
Classic worldwide localities
- Kangerdluarssuk Plateau, in the Ilímaussaq intrusion, southern Greenland
- Islands of Låven and Stokkø, and at Barkevik, Langesundsfjord, Norway
- Khibiny and Lovozero massifs, Kola Peninsula, Russia
- Dara-i-Pioz massif, Alai Range, Tien Shan, Tajikistan
- Mont Saint-Hilaire and near Saint-Amable, Quebec, and in the Red Wine complex, Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada
- Saima alkaline complex, Liaodong Peninsula, China
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Characteristic of some nepheline syenites and related pegmatites. If you start seeing arfvedsonite, aegirine, eudialyte in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular crystals, prismatic, radiating aggregates. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify rinkite-(ce)?+
Where is rinkite-(ce) found?+
Is rinkite-(ce) safe to handle?+
What rocks look like rinkite-(ce)?+
What minerals are found with rinkite-(ce)?+
What kind of rock does rinkite-(ce) form in?+
What is rinkite-(ce) used for?+
Find rinkite-(ce) on the map
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