Tychite is a rare sulfate-carbonate mineral typically found in complex evaporite lake deposits. Collectors prize it for its sharp, octahedral crystal habit and its occurrence in highly alkaline saline environments alongside other rare carbonates.

Hardness

Mohs

Luster

Vitreous

Streak

White

Transparency

Transparent

mineralrareFairchildite Group family

Tychite

Hardness: 4
Luster: Vitreous
Streak: White
Transparency: Transparent

Is this tychite?

5-step field check

Run through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.

1
Test the hardness
Try to scratch tychite with a known reference. Tychite sits at Mohs 4 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
2
Check the streak
Drag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Tychite leaves a white streak.
3
Read the luster
Hold the specimen under a strong light. Tychite typically shows a vitreous luster.
4
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: white, colorless, pale yellow.
5
Look at form & habit
Crystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: octahedral, granular, massive.

Often confused with

Tychite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.

Often found alongside tychite

Minerals reported to co-occur with tychite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.

All properties

Chemical formula: Na₆Mg₂(CO₃)₄(SO₄)
Mohs hardness: 4
Density: 2.56 g/cm³
Colors: White Colorless Pale Yellow
Streak: White
Luster: Vitreous
Transparency: Transparent
Crystal system: Trigonal
Crystal habit: Octahedral, Granular, Massive
Cleavage: None
Rarity: Rare
Uses: Collector
Host rock: Evaporite Deposits
Typical price: $50-300 per specimen

Where rockhounds find tychite

Classic worldwide localities

Borax Lake, California, USA
Searles Lake, California, USA
Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia

Field-hunting tip

Look in evaporite deposits country — that is the host setting where tychite typically forms. If you start seeing northupite, nahcolite, trona in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a octahedral, granular, massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.

Common questions

How do you identify tychite?+

Mohs hardness is 4. It typically shows a vitreous luster. The streak is white. Common colors include white, colorless, pale yellow.

Where is tychite found?+

Notable localities include Borax Lake, California, USA; Searles Lake, California, USA; Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia.

How much is tychite worth?+

Typical asking prices fall in the range of $50-300 per specimen. Quality, size, and provenance can move individual specimens well outside that range.

What rocks look like tychite?+

Tychite is most often confused with Northupite. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.

What minerals are found with tychite?+

Tychite commonly co-occurs with Northupite, Nahcolite, Trona, Gaylussite. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does tychite form in?+

Tychite typically forms in evaporite deposits. Working float back to the host body is the standard way to chase a fresh occurrence.

What is tychite used for?+

Tychite is used in collector.

Find tychite on the map

RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.