Vistepite is a very rare tin-manganese borosilicate mineral discovered in the skarns of the Russian Far East. Collectors look for its characteristic pale brownish-yellow prismatic crystals, often occurring in radial sprays or fibrous aggregates within carbonate host rocks.
Is this vistepite?
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 vistepite with a known reference. Vistepite sits at Mohs 4.5, 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: yellowish orange.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: aggregates, radial.
Often confused with
Vistepite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside vistepite
Minerals reported to co-occur with vistepite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mn₄SnB₂O₂(Si₂O₇)₂(OH)₂
- Mohs hardness
- 4.5
- Density
- 3.67 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Aggregates, radial
- Cleavage
- Perfect in three directions
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In a rhodonite vein in biotite-quartz hornfels at the margin of a tin-bearing granite massif
Where rockhounds find vistepite
Classic worldwide localities
- Muzeinyi Sai [Museum Valley], near the Trudovye tin deposit, Inyl'chek Mountains, eastern Kyrgyzstan
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In a rhodonite vein in biotite-quartz hornfels at the margin of a tin-bearing granite massif. If you start seeing rhodonite, quartz, tephroite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: aggregates, radial. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify vistepite?+
Where is vistepite found?+
What rocks look like vistepite?+
What minerals are found with vistepite?+
What kind of rock does vistepite form in?+
What is vistepite used for?+
Find vistepite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
