Wollastonite typically appears as white, bladed, or fibrous masses often associated with contact metamorphism of limestone. Collectors should look for its characteristic orange fluorescence under shortwave UV light and its distinct cleavage patterns. It is frequently found in skarn environments alongside other calcium-rich silicates.
Is this wollastonite?
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 wollastonite with a known reference. Wollastonite 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. Wollastonite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Wollastonite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, gray, cream, colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, massive, fibrous, bladed.
Often confused with
Wollastonite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside wollastonite
Minerals reported to co-occur with wollastonite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CaSiO₃
- Mohs hardness
- 4.5-5
- Density
- 2.8-3.1 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular Crystals, Massive, Fibrous, Bladed
- Cleavage
- Perfect in One Direction
- Fluorescence
- Orange Under SW UV
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Industrial
- Host rock
- Metamorphosed Limestone or Skarns
- Typical price
- $5-50 for hand specimens
Where rockhounds find wollastonite
3 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- New York, USA
- Mexico
- China
- Italy
- Finland
Field-hunting tip
Look in metamorphosed limestone or skarns country — that is the host setting where wollastonite typically forms. If you start seeing calcite, diopside, garnet in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a tabular crystals, massive, fibrous, bladed habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Utah — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find wollastonite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
