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.

Hardness

4-5

Mohs

Luster

Vitreous to dull

Streak

White

Transparency

Translucent

mineralrarePlumbogummite Group family

Waylandite

Hardness: 4-5
Luster: Vitreous to dull
Streak: White
Transparency: Translucent

Is this waylandite?

5-step field check

Run through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.

1
Test the hardness
Try to scratch waylandite with a known reference. Waylandite sits at Mohs 4-5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
2
Check the streak
Drag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
3
Read the luster
Hold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous to dull.
4
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: white, light brown.
5
Look at form & habit
Crystal 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.

How to tell apart: Gorceixite is the harder of the two (Mohs 6 vs. 4-5).

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: BiAl₃(PO₄)₂(OH)₆
Mohs hardness: 4-5
Density: 3.86 g/cm³
Colors: White Light brown
Streak: White
Luster: Vitreous to dull
Transparency: Translucent
Crystal system: Trigonal
Crystal habit: Crusts, globular aggregates, microscopic crystals
Cleavage: None
Rarity: Rare
Uses: Collector
Host rock: A rare secondary mineral replacing primary bismuth minerals

Where rockhounds find waylandite

Classic worldwide localities

Wampewo pegmatite, Gamba Hill, near Kampala, southwest Uganda
Ngusa, and in the Kobokobo pegmatite, Lusungu River district, Kivu Province, Congo (Zaire)
Restormel mine, near Lostwithiel, England
Wheal Owles and the Levant mine, St. Just, England
Phoenix mines, near Linkinhorne, England
Gunheath china clay pit, St. Austell, Cornwall, England

Field-hunting tip

Where it forms: A rare secondary mineral replacing primary bismuth minerals. If you start seeing bismutite, bismutotantalite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: crusts, globular aggregates, microscopic crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.

Common questions

How do you identify waylandite?+

Mohs hardness is 4-5. Luster: vitreous to dull. The streak is white. Common colors include white, light brown.

Where is waylandite found?+

Notable localities include Wampewo pegmatite, Gamba Hill, near Kampala, southwest Uganda; Ngusa, and in the Kobokobo pegmatite, Lusungu River district, Kivu Province, Congo (Zaire); Restormel mine, near Lostwithiel, England; Wheal Owles and the Levant mine, St. Just, England; Phoenix mines, near Linkinhorne, England.

What rocks look like waylandite?+

Waylandite is most often confused with Crandallite, Gorceixite, Plumbogummite. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.

What minerals are found with waylandite?+

Waylandite commonly co-occurs with Bismutite, Bismutotantalite. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does waylandite form in?+

Where it forms: A rare secondary mineral replacing primary bismuth minerals. Working float back to the host body is the standard way to chase a fresh occurrence.

What is waylandite used for?+

Waylandite is used in collector.

Find waylandite on the map

RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.