Nashite is a very rare hydrated sodium vanadium oxide mineral discovered in the sandstone of the Colorado Plateau. It typically occurs as small, bluish green, bladed or tabular crystals associated with other secondary vanadium minerals in oxidized uranium-vanadium deposits.
Is this nashite?
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 nashite with a known reference. Nashite sits at Mohs 2, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Nashite leaves a pale bluish green streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Nashite typically shows a subadamantine luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: bluish green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: bladed crystals.
Often confused with
Nashite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Nashite is noticeably harder (Mohs 2 vs. approx 1); streak differs, so Nashite leaves pale bluish green, Hewettite leaves brownish red; luster reads subadamantine on Nashite and silky to adamantine on Hewettite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Nashite leaves pale bluish green, Metahewettite leaves deep red; luster reads subadamantine on Nashite and dull to silky on Metahewettite.
Often found alongside nashite
Minerals reported to co-occur with nashite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Na₃V₁₀O₂₄·15H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 2
- Density
- 2.16 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Pale Bluish Green
- Luster
- Subadamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Bladed Crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Sandstone
Where rockhounds find nashite
Classic worldwide localities
- Bull Pen, Montrose County, Colorado, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in sandstone country, the host setting where nashite typically forms. If you start seeing hewettite, rossite, metarossite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a bladed crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify nashite?+
Where is nashite found?+
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What rocks look like nashite?+
What minerals are found with nashite?+
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Find nashite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
