Shlykovite is a rare potassium-calcium silicate mineral primarily found in hyperalkaline pegmatites. It typically forms thin, transparent, tabular crystals that can be difficult to distinguish from associated apophyllite group members without analytical testing.
Is this shlykovite?
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 shlykovite with a known reference. Shlykovite 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. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous; aggregates, pearly to silky.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: grayish white, beige.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: platy crystals, tabular aggregates.
Often confused with
Shlykovite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside shlykovite
Minerals reported to co-occur with shlykovite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- KCa[Si₄O₉(OH)]·3H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5-3
- Density
- 2.244 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous; aggregates, pearly to silky
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Platy crystals, tabular aggregates
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {001}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A late-stage hydrothermal mineral along fractures in a high-potassium peralkaline pegmatite in urtite rocks near the contact with nepheline-apatite rock
Where rockhounds find shlykovite
Classic worldwide localities
- Central mine, Mt. Rasvumchorr, Khibiny massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A late-stage hydrothermal mineral along fractures in a high-potassium peralkaline pegmatite in urtite rocks near the contact with nepheline-apatite rock. If you start seeing cryptophyllite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: platy crystals, tabular aggregates. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify shlykovite?+
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What rocks look like shlykovite?+
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Find shlykovite on the map
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