Strontianite

Strontium carbonate forming white tufts and needles; it colors a flame crimson.

Strontianite specimen — Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify strontianite

White to pale needles in tufts.
Fizzes in acid.
Turns a flame red.

Often confused with

Aragonite
Aragonite doesn't color a flame red.
Compare side by side
Celestine
Celestine doesn't fizz.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Strontian, Scotland
Münsterland, Germany
Pennsylvania

Uses

Strontium for red fireworks.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling.

Did you know?

The element strontium is named after Strontian, the Scottish village where this mineral was found.

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