Identification guide · Minerals
How to Identify Chabazite
Chabazite typically occurs as colorless, white, yellow, pink, or reddish rhombohedral crystals with a vitreous to slightly pearly luster and a white streak. It has a hardness of 4 to 5 and cleavage that is imperfect in the rhombohedral direction, most often recognized by its pseudo-cubic crystal habit and characteristic penetration twins. It can be confused with calcite or other zeolites like gmelinite, but chabazite's lower density than calcite, lack of strong rhombohedral cleavage, and typical occurrence in basalt vugs help confirm its identity.
Chabazite identification checklist
| Color | White, Colorless, Pink, Red, Yellow | Look at a clean, dry surface in daylight. Color zoning, banding or spots are as diagnostic as the hue. |
|---|---|---|
| Luster | Vitreous | Fresh surfaces shine like glass; a dull surface usually means weathering, so chip or wet a corner. |
| Transparency | Transparent to translucent | Hold a thin edge up to a bright light and note whether light passes through. |
| Mohs hardness | 4–5 | A steel knife blade (Mohs 5.5) scratches it; a copper coin does not. |
| Streak | White | Drag a corner across unglazed porcelain (the back of a bathroom tile) and check the powder color. |
| Cleavage | Distinct rhombohedral | |
| Fracture | Uneven | |
| Specific gravity | 2.05–2.15 | Noticeably light in the hand for its size (specific gravity about 2.0999999999999996). |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
Chabazite look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Chabazite is harder (Mohs 4–5) than Calcite (Mohs 3), so Chabazite will scratch Calcite and not the other way round. A copper coin (Mohs 3.5) scratches it, but a fingernail does not. Chabazite vs Calcite →
Both sit near Mohs 4–5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Chabazite vs Apophyllite →
Both sit near Mohs 4–5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Chabazite vs Aragonite →
Both sit near Mohs 4–5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead.
Chabazite identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is Chabazite?
Check the color (white, colorless, pink, and red), the vitreous luster, a Mohs hardness of 4–5 and a white streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of Chabazite?
Chabazite has a Mohs hardness of 4–5. A steel knife blade (Mohs 5.5) scratches it; a copper coin does not.
What is the difference between Chabazite and Calcite?
Chabazite (Mohs 4–5, vitreous luster) and Calcite (Mohs 3, vitreous luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full Chabazite vs Calcite comparison for a side-by-side table.
Is Chabazite worth anything?
Entry-level Chabazite specimens sell for around $2, typical collector pieces about $20, and premium examples $150 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is Chabazite?
Chabazite is most often white, colorless, pink, and red. Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
