Tavorite is a rare phosphate mineral primarily found in the alteration zones of lithium-rich pegmatites. It typically appears as yellowish-green masses or small crystalline aggregates associated with the oxidation of primary phosphate minerals like triphylite.
Is this tavorite?
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 tavorite with a known reference. Tavorite sits at Mohs 5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: pale green.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow green, grass green, greenish yellow, yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: crystalline.
Often confused with
Tavorite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside tavorite
Minerals reported to co-occur with tavorite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- LiFe³⁺(PO₄)(OH)
- Mohs hardness
- 5
- Density
- 3.32 g/cm³
- Streak
- Pale green
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Semitransparent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Crystalline
- Cleavage
- Distinct
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A secondary oxidation product of earlier phosphates in complex zoned granite pegmatites
Where rockhounds find tavorite
Classic worldwide localities
- Palermo #1 and Fletcher mines, near North Groton, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, USA
- Custer Mountain, Hot Shot, Elkhorn, Bull Moose, Hesnard, Linwood, and White Elephant mines, South Dakota, USA
- Tip Top mine, 8.5 km southwest of Custer, Custer Co., South Dakota, USA
- Sapucaia pegmatite mine, about 50 km east-southeast of Governador Valadares, and the Énio pegmatite mine, northeast of Galiléia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Pedra Lavrda, Paraíba, Brazil
- Hagendorf, Bavaria, Germany
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A secondary oxidation product of earlier phosphates in complex zoned granite pegmatites. If you start seeing barbosalite, heterosite, ferrisicklerite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: crystalline. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find tavorite on the map
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