Wadeite is a rare zirconium silicate mineral primarily found in silica-undersaturated alkaline rocks. It is highly prized by collectors for its distinct hexagonal crystal habit and its characteristic bright blue fluorescence under short-wave ultraviolet light.
Is this wadeite?
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 wadeite with a known reference. Wadeite sits at Mohs 6-6.5, 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: adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, violet, light lilac, pink.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: hexagonal, prismatic.
Often confused with
Wadeite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside wadeite
Minerals reported to co-occur with wadeite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- K₂ZrSi₃O₉
- Mohs hardness
- 6-6.5
- Density
- 3.10-3.13 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Hexagonal, prismatic
- Cleavage
- Pyramidal, poor, intersecting at 80° {90°
- Fluorescence
- Bright blue under SW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In veins in leucite lamproites (Wolgidee Hills, Western Australia); in nepheline-feldspathoid and natrolite veins in a differentiated alkalic massif (Khibiny massif, Russia)
Where rockhounds find wadeite
Classic worldwide localities
- Wolgidee Hills and in the Argyle diamond mine, West Kimberley area, Western Australia
- Khibiny and Kovdor massifs, Kola Peninsula, and the Murun massif, southwest of Olekminsk, Yakutia, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In veins in leucite lamproites (Wolgidee Hills, Western Australia); in nepheline-feldspathoid and natrolite veins in a differentiated alkalic massif (Khibiny massif, Russia). If you start seeing leucite, phlogopite, olivine in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: hexagonal, prismatic. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify wadeite?+
Where is wadeite found?+
What rocks look like wadeite?+
What minerals are found with wadeite?+
What kind of rock does wadeite form in?+
What is wadeite used for?+
Find wadeite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
