RocksdayHowlite vs Turquoise
How to tell them apart
A white borate with gray to black web-like veins. Its porosity makes it easy to dye.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0
A copper aluminum phosphate prized for its sky-blue to green color, often webbed with brown or black host rock ('matrix').
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick tests
- Hardness: Turquoise is clearly harder: Mohs 5–6 versus 3–3.5.
- Streak (rub on unglazed porcelain): Howlite leaves a white streak; Turquoise leaves white to greenish.
Key differences
- Dyed howlite is sold as fake turquoise; scratch it to see white.
Side by side
| Property | Howlite | Turquoise |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 3–3.5 | 5–6 |
| Luster | Subvitreous to dull | Waxy to dull |
| Streak | White | White to greenish |
| Colors | White, Gray | Blue, Green |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic | Triclinic |
| Specific gravity | 2.53–2.59 | 2.6–2.9 |
| Formula | Ca₂B₅SiO₉(OH)₅ | CuAl₆(PO₄)₄(OH)₈·4H₂O |
| Found in | Windsor, Nova Scotia; Tick Canyon, California | Arizona; Nevada |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify howlite
- Chalky white with thin gray or black veins.
- Soft — a knife scratches it.
- Doesn't fizz in acid.
Crystal system: Monoclinic
Full Howlite guide →How to identify turquoise
- Opaque sky blue to green with a waxy look.
- Often veined with brown or black matrix.
- Never forms visible crystals — always massive nuggets or veins.
- Porous: it can darken when oiled.
Crystal system: Triclinic
Full Turquoise guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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