Xenotime is a rare earth phosphate mineral commonly occurring as small, brown-to-yellow prismatic crystals in igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is frequently mistaken for zircon due to similar crystal shapes, but can be distinguished by its slightly lower hardness and characteristic association with monazite.
Is this xenotime?
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 xenotime with a known reference. Xenotime sits at Mohs 4-5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Xenotime leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Xenotime typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellowish-brown, reddish-brown, yellow, gray, greenish.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: prismatic crystals, dipyramidal, granular.
Often confused with
Xenotime vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Zircon is the harder of the two (Mohs 7.5 vs. 4-5); luster reads vitreous on Xenotime and adamantine on Zircon.
How to tell apart: Luster reads vitreous on Xenotime and resinous on Monazite.
Often found alongside xenotime
Minerals reported to co-occur with xenotime. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- YPO₄
- Mohs hardness
- 4-5
- Density
- 4.4-5.1 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic Crystals, Dipyramidal, Granular
- Cleavage
- Distinct Prismatic
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector, Source of Yttrium, Source of Rare Earth Elements
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites, Gneisses, Metamorphic Schists
- Typical price
- $15-100 per specimen
Where rockhounds find xenotime
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Norway
- Brazil
- Madagascar
- USA (North Carolina)
- Switzerland
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites, gneisses, metamorphic schists country — that is the host setting where xenotime typically forms. If you start seeing zircon, monazite, quartz in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic crystals, dipyramidal, granular 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
How do you identify xenotime?+
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Find xenotime on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
