Suhailite is a rare member of the mica group, chemically very similar to muscovite. It is primarily found as thin, platy, and transparent sheets within pegmatite deposits, often prized by advanced mineral collectors for its locality-specific classification.
Is this suhailite?
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 suhailite with a known reference. Suhailite sits at Mohs 2.5, 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.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: golden yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: granular, platy.
Often confused with
Suhailite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside suhailite
Minerals reported to co-occur with suhailite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (NH₄)Fe²⁺₃(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5
- Density
- 2.9-3.1 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Granular, platy
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {001}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Found in polymetamorphic pelitic gneisses and transitional schists-gneisses from the uppermost tectonic unit of the Alpujárride Complex
Where rockhounds find suhailite
Classic worldwide localities
- Fuengirola, Málaga Province (Betic Cordillera), Spain (type locality)
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Found in polymetamorphic pelitic gneisses and transitional schists-gneisses from the uppermost tectonic unit of the Alpujárride Complex. If you start seeing quartz, feldspar, tourmaline in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: granular, platy. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify suhailite?+
Where is suhailite found?+
What rocks look like suhailite?+
What minerals are found with suhailite?+
What kind of rock does suhailite form in?+
What is suhailite used for?+
Find suhailite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
