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Wöhlerite is a rare sorosilicate mineral primarily found in alkaline igneous environments like nepheline syenite pegmatites. It is prized by collectors for its distinctive honey-yellow to orange tabular crystals, often occurring in complex alkaline massifs associated with rare zirconium minerals.

Hardness
6-6.5
Mohs
Luster
Vitreous, inclining to resinous, dull, and greasy
Streak
Pale yellow
Transparency
Transparent to translucent

Is this wöhlerite?

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 wöhlerite with a known reference. Wöhlerite sits at Mohs 6-6.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
  • 2
    Check the streak
    Drag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: pale yellow.
  • 3
    Read the luster
    Hold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous, inclining to resinous, dull, and greasy.
  • 4
    Match the color range
    Compare against the expected color range: yellow, dark yellow, gray, brown.
  • 5
    Look at form & habit
    Crystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: granular, prismatic, tabular.

Often confused with

Wöhlerite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.

Rosenbuschite mineral
mineral
Rosenbuschite
Mohs 5-6

How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Wöhlerite leaves pale yellow, Rosenbuschite leaves white.

Compare →

Often found alongside wöhlerite

Minerals reported to co-occur with wöhlerite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.

All properties

Chemical formula
Na₂Ca₄Zr(Nb,Ti)(Si₂O₇)₂(O,F)₄
Mohs hardness
6-6.5
Density
3.40-3.44 g/cm³
Colors
YellowDark yellowGrayBrown
Streak
Pale yellow
Luster
Vitreous, inclining to resinous, dull, and greasy
Transparency
Transparent to translucent
Crystal system
Monoclinic
Crystal habit
Granular, prismatic, tabular
Cleavage
{010}, distinct; {100} and {110}, poor
Rarity
Rare
Uses
Collector
Host rock
A late phase in alkalic pegmatites; an accessory mineral in nepheline syenites; in fenites associated with alkaline intrusives; and in carbonatites

Where rockhounds find wöhlerite

Classic worldwide localities

  • Red Hill, Moultonborough, Carroll Co., New Hampshire, and Magnet Cove, Hot Spring Co., Arkansas, USA
  • A number of islands in the Langesundsfjord, around Brevik, and at Tvedalen, Norway
  • Khibiny and Lovozero massifs, Kola Peninsula, Russia
  • Siberia, in the Burpala massif, about 120 km north of Lake Baikal, at Zaangar'ya, Yenisei Ridge, and in the Sangilene massif, Russia
  • Kruft and Mendig, Eifel district, Germany
  • Mont Saint-Hilaire and Oka, Quebec, Canada

Field-hunting tip

Where it forms: A late phase in alkalic pegmatites; an accessory mineral in nepheline syenites; in fenites associated with alkaline intrusives; and in carbonatites. If you start seeing cancrinite, ferro-hornblende, aegirine in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: granular, prismatic, tabular. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.

Common questions

How do you identify wöhlerite?+
Mohs hardness is 6-6.5. Luster: vitreous, inclining to resinous, dull, and greasy. The streak is pale yellow. Common colors include yellow, dark yellow, gray, brown.
Where is wöhlerite found?+
Notable localities include Red Hill, Moultonborough, Carroll Co., New Hampshire, and Magnet Cove, Hot Spring Co., Arkansas, USA; A number of islands in the Langesundsfjord, around Brevik, and at Tvedalen, Norway; Khibiny and Lovozero massifs, Kola Peninsula, Russia; Siberia, in the Burpala massif, about 120 km north of Lake Baikal, at Zaangar'ya, Yenisei Ridge, and in the Sangilene massif, Russia; Kruft and Mendig, Eifel district, Germany.
What rocks look like wöhlerite?+
Wöhlerite is most often confused with Rosenbuschite. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.
What minerals are found with wöhlerite?+
Wöhlerite commonly co-occurs with Cancrinite, Ferro-hornblende, Aegirine, Astrophyllite, Mosandrite, Eudialyte. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.
What kind of rock does wöhlerite form in?+
Where it forms: A late phase in alkalic pegmatites; an accessory mineral in nepheline syenites; in fenites associated with alkaline intrusives; and in carbonatites. Working float back to the host body is the standard way to chase a fresh occurrence.
What is wöhlerite used for?+
Wöhlerite is used in collector.

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