Sodium aluminum silicate chloride with rich royal blue color. Member of the sodalite mineral group. Color: Royal blue, violet-blue, white, gray. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Streak: White. Cleavage: Poor. Hardness: 5.5-6. Transparency: Transparent to translucent. Crystal system: Isometric Cubic. Chemical formula: Na₄Al₃Si₃O₁₂Cl. Specific gravity: 2.27-2.33. Formation: Crystallizes from sodium-rich, silica-undersaturated magmas in nepheline syenites and related rocks. Common geological settings: Brazil, Canada, Namibia, India; found in nepheline syenites and phonolites. Common look-alikes and related entries: Lazurite, Azurite, Lapis Lazuli.
Blue minerals — Place this specimen in a broader field-identification workflow.
Sources, scope & corrections
These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.
Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T14:37:06.577308+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
IMA–CNMNC List of Mineral Names — International Mineralogical Association. Official mineral-name, nomenclature, and classification records.
Mineral ID Key — Mineralogical Society of America. Physical-property identification methods, repeat-testing guidance, and limitations.
Sodium aluminum silicate chloride with rich royal blue color. Member of the sodalite mineral group.
How can you identify Sodalite?
Compare several properties rather than relying on colour alone. This entry records colour: Royal blue, violet-blue, white, gray; lustre: Vitreous to greasy; streak: White; Mohs hardness: 5.5-6; cleavage: Poor; crystal system: Isometric Cubic; transparency: Transparent to translucent. Confirm an important identification with additional field tests or qualified laboratory work.
How does Sodalite form?
Crystallizes from sodium-rich, silica-undersaturated magmas in nepheline syenites and related rocks.
Where is Sodalite commonly found?
Brazil, Canada, Namibia, India; found in nepheline syenites and phonolites.
What is Sodalite commonly confused with?
Sodalite may be confused with Lazurite, Azurite, Lapis Lazuli. Compare multiple diagnostic properties because colour and surface appearance can overlap.
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