Variscite identification and geology

Browse this collection and related resources

• Browse all mineral identification entries — Compare this entry with the complete GeoMiner minerals collection.
• Previous: Vanadinite — Lead vanadate chloride forming bright red to orange hexagonal prismatic crystals. Important ore of vanadium.
• Next: Vermiculite — Hydrous phyllosilicate that exfoliates dramatically when heated, expanding up to 30 times its original volume.
• Turquoise
• Chrysoprase
• Malachite

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

2026-03-30T14:37:50.246076+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.

Read GeoMiner's editorial methodology or report a content issue.

Common questions

What is Variscite?

Hydrated aluminum phosphate with apple-green color. Sometimes confused with turquoise but lacks copper.

How can you identify Variscite?

Compare several properties rather than relying on colour alone. This entry records colour: Apple green, pale green; lustre: Vitreous to waxy; streak: White; Mohs hardness: 3.5-4.5; cleavage: Good in one direction; crystal system: Orthorhombic; transparency: Translucent to opaque. Confirm an important identification with additional field tests or qualified laboratory work.

How does Variscite form?

Forms from phosphate-rich groundwater percolating through aluminum-rich rocks in near-surface conditions.

Where is Variscite commonly found?

Utah USA , Australia, Germany, Brazil; found in near-surface deposits.

What is Variscite commonly confused with?

Variscite may be confused with Turquoise, Chrysoprase, Malachite. Compare multiple diagnostic properties because colour and surface appearance can overlap.