Sodalite is a rich royal blue tectosilicate mineral widely prized by collectors and lapidary artists for its intense color. It typically occurs in massive form and is often associated with white calcite veining, which provides a striking contrast. It is easily distinguished from Lapis Lazuli by its lack of the pervasive pyrite inclusions common in that rock.
Is this sodalite?
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 sodalite with a known reference. Sodalite sits at Mohs 5.5-6 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Sodalite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Sodalite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: blue, white, gray, green, pink.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: isometric. Typical habit: massive, granular, or rare dodecahedral crystals.
Often confused with
Sodalite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside sodalite
Minerals reported to co-occur with sodalite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Na₈Al₆Si₆O₂₄Cl₂
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5-6
- Density
- 2.27-2.33 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Isometric
- Crystal habit
- Massive, Granular, Or Rare Dodecahedral Crystals
- Cleavage
- Poor
- Fluorescence
- Orange Under UV
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Decorative, Lapidary
- Host rock
- Nepheline Syenites and Other Silica-undersaturated Igneous Rocks
- Typical price
- $5-30 for rough specimens, $50-200 for high-quality fluorescent spheres or crystals
Where rockhounds find sodalite
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Bancroft Ontario Canada
- Langesundsfjord Norway
- Kola Peninsula Russia
- Ilimaussaq Complex Greenland
- Arkansas USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in nepheline syenites and other silica-undersaturated igneous rocks country — that is the host setting where sodalite typically forms. If you start seeing nepheline, calcite, cancrinite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive, granular, or rare dodecahedral crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in North Carolina, Utah — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify sodalite?+
Where is sodalite found?+
Can I find sodalite in the United States?+
How much is sodalite worth?+
What rocks look like sodalite?+
What minerals are found with sodalite?+
What kind of rock does sodalite form in?+
What is sodalite used for?+
Find sodalite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
