RocksdayLazurite vs Sodalite
How to tell them apart
The deep blue mineral that gives lapis lazuli its color. Distinct crystals are rare.
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
A royal-blue feldspathoid mineral, usually massive with white veins, and a popular tumbled stone.
Photo: Ra'ike (see also: de:Benutzer:Ra'ike), CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick tests
- Streak (rub on unglazed porcelain): Lazurite leaves a bright blue streak; Sodalite leaves white.
Key differences
- Sodalite is a lighter royal blue with white veins.
Side by side
| Property | Lazurite | Sodalite |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 5–5.5 | 5.5–6 |
| Luster | Dull to vitreous | Vitreous to greasy |
| Streak | Bright blue | White |
| Colors | Blue | Blue, White |
| Crystal system | Cubic | Cubic |
| Specific gravity | 2.38–2.45 | 2.27–2.33 |
| Formula | (Na,Ca)₈(AlSiO₄)₆(SO₄,S,Cl)₂ | Na₈(Al₆Si₆O₂₄)Cl₂ |
| Found in | Sar-e-Sang, Afghanistan; Lake Baikal, Russia | Bancroft, Ontario; Bahia, Brazil |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify lazurite
- Intense ultramarine blue.
- Usually massive grains in white marble.
- Bright blue streak.
Crystal system: Cubic
Full Lazurite guide →How to identify sodalite
- Royal blue with white veins or patches.
- Glows orange under longwave UV light.
- Hardness about 6.
- Light for a blue stone.
Crystal system: Cubic
Full Sodalite guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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