Waylandite is a rare phosphate mineral typically occurring as small, crusty, or globular masses. It is primarily sought after by advanced collectors for its rarity and its characteristic association with phosphate minerals in hydrothermal or pegmatite environments.
Is this waylandite?
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 waylandite with a known reference. Waylandite sits at Mohs 4.5-5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Waylandite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Waylandite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, yellow, colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: crusts, globular aggregates, microscopic crystals.
Often confused with
Waylandite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside waylandite
Minerals reported to co-occur with waylandite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CaAl₃(PO₄)₂(OH)₅·H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 4.5-5
- Density
- 3.55 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Crusts, Globular Aggregates, Microscopic Crystals
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Phosphate-rich Hydrothermal Veins and Pegmatite Pockets
- Typical price
- $20-150 depending on specimen quality
Where rockhounds find waylandite
Classic worldwide localities
- Wayland Mine, Colorado, USA
- Tsumeb, Namibia
- Montebras, France
- Hagendorf, Germany
Field-hunting tip
Look in phosphate-rich hydrothermal veins and pegmatite pockets country — that is the host setting where waylandite typically forms. If you start seeing crandallite, variscite, quartz in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a crusts, globular aggregates, microscopic crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify waylandite?+
Where is waylandite found?+
How much is waylandite worth?+
What rocks look like waylandite?+
What minerals are found with waylandite?+
What kind of rock does waylandite form in?+
What is waylandite used for?+
Find waylandite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
