Stilbite is best known for its distinctive bowtie or sheaf-like crystal clusters, which are highly prized by collectors for their aesthetic beauty. It forms primarily in the cavities of basaltic volcanic rocks and is often found associated with other minerals like apophyllite and heulandite.
Is this stilbite?
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 stilbite with a known reference. Stilbite sits at Mohs 3.5-4 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Stilbite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Stilbite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, colorless, yellow, orange, pink, brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: sheaf-like aggregates, radiating, bladed, tabular.
Often confused with
Stilbite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside stilbite
Minerals reported to co-occur with stilbite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (Na,Ca,K)₉(Si₂₇Al₉)O₇₂·28H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4
- Density
- 2.1-2.2 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Sheaf-like Aggregates, Radiating, Bladed, Tabular
- Cleavage
- Perfect On {010}
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- Basaltic Vugs, Cavities in Volcanic Rocks
- Typical price
- $10-150 depending on specimen size and clarity
Where rockhounds find stilbite
11 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Nasik, India
- Teigarhorn, Iceland
- Paterson, New Jersey, USA
- Nova Scotia, Canada
- Poona, India
Field-hunting tip
Look in basaltic vugs, cavities in volcanic rocks country — that is the host setting where stilbite typically forms. If you start seeing heulandite, apophyllite, quartz in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a sheaf-like aggregates, radiating, bladed, tabular habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Maine, Pennsylvania, Utah — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify stilbite?+
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Can I find stilbite in the United States?+
How much is stilbite worth?+
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Find stilbite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
