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Sylvite identification and geology

Sylvite mineral reference specimen

Potassium chloride and an important potash ore for fertilizer production. Tastes more bitter than halite. Color: Colorless, white, yellowish, reddish. Luster: Vitreous. Streak: White. Cleavage: Perfect cubic. Hardness: 2. Transparency: Transparent to translucent. Crystal system: Isometric Cubic. Chemical formula: KCl. Specific gravity: 1.99. Formation: Precipitates from highly evaporated seawater after halite; found in potash evaporite deposits. Common geological settings: Germany, Canada Saskatchewan , Russia, USA; found in potash evaporite deposits. Common look-alikes and related entries: Halite, Carnallite, Calcite.

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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
2026-03-30T14:37:04.886289+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.

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Common questions

What is Sylvite?
Potassium chloride and an important potash ore for fertilizer production. Tastes more bitter than halite.
How can you identify Sylvite?
Compare several properties rather than relying on colour alone. This entry records colour: Colorless, white, yellowish, reddish; lustre: Vitreous; streak: White; Mohs hardness: 2; cleavage: Perfect cubic; crystal system: Isometric Cubic; transparency: Transparent to translucent. Confirm an important identification with additional field tests or qualified laboratory work.
How does Sylvite form?
Precipitates from highly evaporated seawater after halite; found in potash evaporite deposits.
Where is Sylvite commonly found?
Germany, Canada Saskatchewan , Russia, USA; found in potash evaporite deposits.
What is Sylvite commonly confused with?
Sylvite may be confused with Halite, Carnallite, Calcite. Compare multiple diagnostic properties because colour and surface appearance can overlap.

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