Uakitite is an extremely rare vanadium nitride mineral discovered within the Uakit iron meteorite. It occurs as microscopic inclusions and is notable for being a cubic polymorph of vanadium nitride, typically found alongside iron-nickel alloys in extraterrestrial material.
Is this uakitite?
3-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Uakitite typically shows a metallic luster.
- 2Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: gray, white.
- 3Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: microscopic inclusions.
Often confused with
Uakitite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside uakitite
Minerals reported to co-occur with uakitite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- VN
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Microscopic Inclusions
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Scientific Research
- Host rock
- Iron Meteorites
Where rockhounds find uakitite
Classic worldwide localities
- Uakit meteorite, Buryatia, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Look in iron meteorites country, the host setting where uakitite typically forms. If you start seeing kamacite, taenite, schreibersite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a microscopic inclusions habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify uakitite?+
Where is uakitite found?+
What rocks look like uakitite?+
What minerals are found with uakitite?+
What kind of rock does uakitite form in?+
What is uakitite used for?+
Find uakitite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
