Waterhouseite is a very rare manganese phosphate mineral occurring as dark, tabular crystals in manganese-rich metamorphic environments. It is primarily sought by advanced mineral collectors specializing in phosphate species or manganese minerals, as it is found in very few locations worldwide.
Is this waterhouseite?
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 waterhouseite with a known reference. Waterhouseite 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. Waterhouseite leaves a brown streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Waterhouseite typically shows a submetallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black, brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: tabular crystals.
Often confused with
Waterhouseite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Waterhouseite leaves brown, Iron Ore leaves reddish-brown to black; luster reads submetallic on Waterhouseite and metallic to submetallic on Iron Ore.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Waterhouseite leaves brown, Manaccanite leaves black.
Often found alongside waterhouseite
Minerals reported to co-occur with waterhouseite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mn₇(PO₄)₂(OH)₈
- Mohs hardness
- 4-5
- Density
- 3.8 g/cm³
- Streak
- Brown
- Luster
- Submetallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Tabular Crystals
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Metamorphosed Manganese Ore Deposits
- Typical price
- $50-300 per specimen
Where rockhounds find waterhouseite
Classic worldwide localities
- Jakobsberg Mine, Sweden
- Sterling Hill, New Jersey, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in metamorphosed manganese ore deposits country, the host setting where waterhouseite typically forms. If you start seeing hausmannite, braunite, baryte in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a tabular crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find waterhouseite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
