Rose Muscovite is a rare pink-tinted variety of muscovite mica, colored by trace amounts of impurities. Collectors prize it for its unique soft pink color and characteristic perfect micaceous cleavage that allows it to peel into thin, flexible, transparent sheets.
Is this rose muscovite?
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 rose muscovite with a known reference. Rose Muscovite sits at Mohs 2.5-3 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Rose Muscovite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Rose Muscovite typically shows a vitreous to pearly luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pink, rose-red.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: tabular, micaceous sheets, scaly masses.
Often confused with
Rose Muscovite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside rose muscovite
Minerals reported to co-occur with rose muscovite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5-3
- Density
- 2.76-3.00 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous to Pearly
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular, Micaceous Sheets, Scaly Masses
- Cleavage
- Perfect Basal
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $10-50 per specimen
Where rockhounds find rose muscovite
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Brazil
- USA
- Russia
- Madagascar
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where rose muscovite typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, microcline, tourmaline in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a tabular, micaceous sheets, scaly masses habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in New Mexico — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify rose muscovite?+
Where is rose muscovite found?+
Can I find rose muscovite in the United States?+
How much is rose muscovite worth?+
What rocks look like rose muscovite?+
What minerals are found with rose muscovite?+
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Find rose muscovite on the map
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