Ruizite is a rare manganese sorosilicate known primarily from the Christmas Mine in Arizona. It typically forms attractive orange to reddish-orange radial sprays or bladed aggregates on a matrix of calcite or related skarn minerals.
Is this ruizite?
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 ruizite with a known reference. Ruizite 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. Ruizite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Ruizite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: orange, red-orange, brownish-orange.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: bladed crystals, radial sprays, spherical aggregates.
Often confused with
Ruizite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside ruizite
Minerals reported to co-occur with ruizite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ca₂Mn³⁺(Si₄O₁₁)O(OH)·2H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 5
- Density
- 2.88 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Bladed Crystals, Radial Sprays, Spherical Aggregates
- Cleavage
- Perfect On {010}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Metasomatized Limestone
- Typical price
- $20-200 thumbnail
Where rockhounds find ruizite
Classic worldwide localities
- Christmas Mine, Arizona, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in metasomatized limestone country, the host setting where ruizite typically forms. If you start seeing calcite, apophyllite, ganophyllite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a bladed crystals, radial sprays, spherical aggregates habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify ruizite?+
Where is ruizite found?+
How much is ruizite worth?+
What rocks look like ruizite?+
What minerals are found with ruizite?+
What kind of rock does ruizite form in?+
What is ruizite used for?+
Find ruizite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
