Wernerite is a common member of the scapolite group, often identified by its characteristic blocky, prismatic crystals with a splintery appearance. Collectors prize it for its strong, often vibrant yellow or orange fluorescence under long-wave and short-wave UV light. It is frequently found in high-grade metamorphic terrains associated with calcium-rich rocks.
Is this wernerite?
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 wernerite with a known reference. Wernerite sits at Mohs 5.5-6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Wernerite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Wernerite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, gray, yellow, green, pink.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: prismatic crystals, massive, granular.
Often confused with
Wernerite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside wernerite
Minerals reported to co-occur with wernerite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (Na,Ca)₄(Al,Si)₁₂(O,Cl,CO₃,SO₄)₂₄
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5-6
- Density
- 2.6-2.7 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic Crystals, Massive, Granular
- Cleavage
- Distinct Prismatic
- Fluorescence
- Often Fluorescent Yellow or Orange Under UV
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Lapidary
- Host rock
- Metamorphic Rocks Like Skarns, Marbles, And Gneisses
- Typical price
- $10-100 for specimens, higher for facet grade
Where rockhounds find wernerite
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Quebec, Canada
- Ontario, Canada
- Franklin, New Jersey, USA
- Mogok, Myanmar
Field-hunting tip
Look in metamorphic rocks like skarns, marbles, and gneisses country, the host setting where wernerite typically forms. If you start seeing diopside, garnet, calcite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic crystals, massive, granular habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in New York. Start trip planning there.
More wernerite photos
Common questions
How do you identify wernerite?+
Where is wernerite found?+
Can I find wernerite in the United States?+
How much is wernerite worth?+
What rocks look like wernerite?+
What minerals are found with wernerite?+
What kind of rock does wernerite form in?+
What is wernerite used for?+
Find wernerite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
