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 — 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 — 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 — that is 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.
