Voggite is a rare phosphate mineral primarily known from the Francon quarry in Montreal. It typically occurs as delicate, colorless to white bladed or platy crystals lining cavities within altered alkaline rocks.
Is this voggite?
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 voggite with a known reference. Voggite sits at Mohs 3-4, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: acicular, microscopic crystals.
Often confused with
Voggite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside voggite
Minerals reported to co-occur with voggite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Na₂Zr(PO₄)(CO₃)(OH)·2H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 3-4
- Density
- 2.70 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Acicular, microscopic crystals
- Cleavage
- {010}, poor
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Very rare, in cavities in an altered amygdaloidal basalt dike intruding a zirconium-bearing silicocarbonatite sill in a limestone quarry
Where rockhounds find voggite
Classic worldwide localities
- Found in the Francon quarry, Montreal Island, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Very rare, in cavities in an altered amygdaloidal basalt dike intruding a zirconium-bearing silicocarbonatite sill in a limestone quarry. If you start seeing dawsonite, calcite, quartz in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: acicular, microscopic crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify voggite?+
Where is voggite found?+
What rocks look like voggite?+
What minerals are found with voggite?+
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Find voggite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
