RocksdaySodalite vs Turquoise
How to tell them apart
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
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
- Streak (rub on unglazed porcelain): Sodalite leaves a white streak; Turquoise leaves white to greenish.
Key differences
- Sodalite is royal blue with white veins, not sky blue.
Side by side
| Property | Sodalite | Turquoise |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 5.5–6 | 5–6 |
| Luster | Vitreous to greasy | Waxy to dull |
| Streak | White | White to greenish |
| Colors | Blue, White | Blue, Green |
| Crystal system | Cubic | Triclinic |
| Specific gravity | 2.27–2.33 | 2.6–2.9 |
| Formula | Na₈(Al₆Si₆O₂₄)Cl₂ | CuAl₆(PO₄)₄(OH)₈·4H₂O |
| Found in | Bancroft, Ontario; Bahia, Brazil | Arizona; Nevada |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
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 →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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