Veatchite is a rare strontium borate mineral that typically forms as delicate, white platy crystals or radial clusters. It is highly prized by mineral collectors for its strong, distinct bright blue fluorescence under short-wave ultraviolet light.
Is this veatchite?
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 veatchite with a known reference. Veatchite sits at Mohs 2, 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, pearly on cleavages; silky in fibrous masses.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, pearl white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: platy crystals, radial aggregates.
Often confused with
Veatchite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Colemanite is the harder of the two (Mohs 4.5 vs. 2).
How to tell apart: Howlite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5 vs. 2); luster reads vitreous, pearly on cleavages; silky in fibrous masses on Veatchite and subvitreous, glimmering on Howlite.
Often found alongside veatchite
Minerals reported to co-occur with veatchite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Sr₂B₁₁O₁₆(OH)₅·H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 2
- Density
- 2.66 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous, pearly on cleavages; silky in fibrous masses
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Platy crystals, radial aggregates
- Cleavage
- On {100}, perfect; on {011}, less perfect
- Fluorescence
- Bright blue under SW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Uncommon in evaporite borate deposits formed by volcanic activity
Where rockhounds find veatchite
Classic worldwide localities
- Sterling borax mine, Tick Canyon, near Lang, Los Angeles Co., California, USA
- Drillcore no. 5, Four Corner area, Kramer district, San Bernardino Co., California, USA
- Billie mine, Furnace Creek district, Death Valley, Inyo Co., California, USA
- Penobsquis and Salt Springs evaporite deposits, near Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada
- Inder borate deposit, Kazakhstan
- Mustafakemalpasa, Bursa Province, Turkey
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Uncommon in evaporite borate deposits formed by volcanic activity. If you start seeing howlite, colemanite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: platy crystals, radial aggregates. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find veatchite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
