Sapphirine is a rare magnesium-aluminum silicate typically found in high-grade metamorphic terrains. Collectors prize it for its range of blue to greenish-blue hues, though it is usually opaque to translucent in most localities.

Hardness

7.5

Mohs

Luster

Vitreous

Streak

White

Transparency

Translucent

mineralrare

Sapphirine

Hardness: 7.5
Luster: Vitreous
Streak: White
Transparency: Translucent

Is this sapphirine?

5-step field check

Run through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.

1
Test the hardness
Try to scratch sapphirine with a known reference. Sapphirine sits at Mohs 7.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
2
Check the streak
Drag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Sapphirine leaves a white streak.
3
Read the luster
Hold the specimen under a strong light. Sapphirine typically shows a vitreous luster.
4
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: blue, blue-green, green, gray, white, brown.
5
Look at form & habit
Crystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, granular aggregates, massive.

Often confused with

Sapphirine vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.

How to tell apart: Corundum is the harder of the two (Mohs 9 vs. 7.5).

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Often found alongside sapphirine

Minerals reported to co-occur with sapphirine. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.

All properties

Chemical formula: (Mg,Al)₈(Al,Si)₆O₂₀
Mohs hardness: 7.5
Density: 3.4-3.5 g/cm³
Colors: Blue Blue-green Green Gray White Brown
Streak: White
Luster: Vitreous
Transparency: Translucent
Crystal system: Monoclinic
Crystal habit: Tabular Crystals, Granular Aggregates, Massive
Cleavage: Poor/indistinct
Rarity: Rare
Uses: Collector, Scientific Research
Host rock: High-grade Metamorphic Rocks Such as Granulites and Pelitic Schists
Typical price: $20-200 per specimen depending on crystal size and transparency

Where rockhounds find sapphirine

Classic worldwide localities

Fiskenæsset, Greenland
Val di Vara, Italy
Madagascar
Sri Lanka
Wilson Lake, Canada

Field-hunting tip

Look in high-grade metamorphic rocks such as granulites and pelitic schists country, the host setting where sapphirine typically forms. If you start seeing sillimanite, cordierite, garnet in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a tabular crystals, granular aggregates, massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.

Common questions

How do you identify sapphirine?+

Mohs hardness is 7.5. It typically shows a vitreous luster. The streak is white. Common colors include blue, blue-green, green, gray.

Where is sapphirine found?+

Notable localities include Fiskenæsset, Greenland; Val di Vara, Italy; Madagascar; Sri Lanka; Wilson Lake, Canada.

How much is sapphirine worth?+

Typical asking prices fall in the range of $20-200 per specimen depending on crystal size and transparency. Quality, size, and provenance can move individual specimens well outside that range.

What rocks look like sapphirine?+

Sapphirine is most often confused with Kyanite, Spinel, Corundum. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.

What minerals are found with sapphirine?+

Sapphirine commonly co-occurs with Sillimanite, Cordierite, Garnet, Corundum, Phlogopite. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does sapphirine form in?+

Sapphirine typically forms in high-grade metamorphic rocks such as granulites and pelitic schists. Working float back to the host body is the standard way to chase a fresh occurrence.

What is sapphirine used for?+

Sapphirine is used in collector, scientific research.

Find sapphirine on the map

RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.