Rorisite is a very rare calcium fluoride chloride mineral that typically occurs in skarn environments formed by contact metamorphism. It is most often found as small, white to colorless tabular crystals or granular aggregates, requiring microscopic examination or X-ray diffraction for definitive identification in the field.
Is this rorisite?
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 rorisite with a known reference. Rorisite sits at Mohs 2, 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: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: tabular crystals, massive, granular.
Often confused with
Rorisite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside rorisite
Minerals reported to co-occur with rorisite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CaFCl
- Mohs hardness
- 2
- Density
- 2.78 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent, becoming turbid on exposure to moist air
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Tabular crystals, massive, granular
- Cleavage
- {110}, perfect; {001}, excellent
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Within carbonized wood in burnt coal dumps
Where rockhounds find rorisite
Classic worldwide localities
- Kopeysk, Chelyabinsk coal basin, Southern Ural Mountains, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Within carbonized wood in burnt coal dumps. If you start seeing fluorite, periclase, troilite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular crystals, massive, granular. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify rorisite?+
Where is rorisite found?+
What rocks look like rorisite?+
What minerals are found with rorisite?+
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Find rorisite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
