Welshite is a very rare member of the sapphirine supergroup, primarily found in the metamorphosed manganese-iron ore deposits of Sweden. It typically appears as dark, brownish-black subhedral grains and is highly sought after by mineral collectors for its unique beryllium-bearing composition.
Is this welshite?
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 welshite with a known reference. Welshite sits at Mohs 6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: pale brown.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: subadamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brown, reddish black, orange brown, deep tan.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: prismatic.
Often confused with
Welshite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Sapphirine is the harder of the two (Mohs 7.5 vs. 6); streak differs, so Welshite leaves pale brown, Sapphirine leaves white; luster reads subadamantine on Welshite and vitreous on Sapphirine.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Welshite leaves pale brown, Aenigmatite leaves reddish brown; luster reads subadamantine on Welshite and vitreous to greasy on Aenigmatite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Welshite leaves pale brown, Rhönite leaves brownish gray; luster reads subadamantine on Welshite and semimetallic on Rhönite.
Often found alongside welshite
Minerals reported to co-occur with welshite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ca₄(Mg₉Sb₃)O₄[Si₆Be₃AlFe₂O₃₆]
- Mohs hardness
- 6
- Density
- 3.77 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Pale brown
- Luster
- Subadamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In hematitic-dolomitic skarn
Where rockhounds find welshite
Classic worldwide localities
- Långban, Värmland, Sweden
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In hematitic-dolomitic skarn. If you start seeing berzeliite, manganoan phlogopite, richterite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: prismatic. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify welshite?+
Where is welshite found?+
Is welshite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like welshite?+
What minerals are found with welshite?+
What kind of rock does welshite form in?+
What is welshite used for?+
Find welshite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
