How do you care for pollucite?

It rates 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Clean it with warm water and a soft cloth, and keep it out of ultrasonic tanks and steamers.

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A stone guide

Pollucite

Q: What is often mistaken for pollucite?

Quartz (massive). Nearly identical by eye, pollucite is slightly denser and lacks any crystal striations; lab confirmation is routine.

Atomic clocks run on cesium from pollucite, the definition of the second comes out of this plain white mineral.

Tectosilicate (zeolite group, cesium)AfghanistanSee treatment disclosure

Pollucite is tectosilicate (zeolite group, cesium), (Cs,Na)₂Al₂Si₄O₁₂·2H₂O. In the hand, it rates 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, and it runs colorless and white. Nondescript glassy-white pegmatite filler hiding a secret: it is the world's main cesium ore, denser and tougher than the quartz and feldspar it mimics.

The closest match we carry

Love Pollucite? Meet Moonstone.

Pollucite is not something we carry. Moonstone is the closest match in color, and every product page names its origin and grade.

8 products in stock · from $2.50 4.9 out of 5 from 1,000+ reviewsSee every piece →

Earth Moonstone Tumbled Stones

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MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

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Peach Moonstone Tumbled Stones

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Black Moonstone Hand Polished Stones

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Family

Tectosilicate (zeolite group, cesium)

Mohs

6.5 to 7

System

Isometric

Luster

Vitreous to greasy

Gravity

2.7 to 3.0

Light

Transparent to translucent

What it is

The geology.

Pollucite carries the formula (Cs,Na)₂Al₂Si₄O₁₂·2H₂O. It belongs to the isometric system. On paper it is tectosilicate (zeolite group, cesium).

It sits at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. The surface reads vitreous to greasy. Light behavior is transparent to translucent. Specific gravity runs 2.7 to 3.0. The streak is white. It breaks with no cleavage; conchoidal fracture.

Nondescript glassy-white pegmatite filler hiding a secret: it is the world's main cesium ore, denser and tougher than the quartz and feldspar it mimics.

Expect to see it as massive vein fillings in pegmatite, rare cubes/trapezohedra or faceted collector gems.

Where it comes from

The origins.

Lithium-cesium pegmatites: Bernic Lake (Manitoba, Canada, world source), Maine (USA), Afghanistan, Italy (Elba).

On value, the database notes: collector mineral; faceted stones are specialist rarities.

What people work with it for

Traditional associations.

In energy work traditions, pollucite has little established lore; some modern writers assign it gentle 'release' themes.

Recorded here because it is part of how this material is sold, not because it is a property of the material.

What to look for

Spotting the real thing.

Nondescript glassy-white pegmatite filler hiding a secret: it is the world's main cesium ore, denser and tougher than the quartz and feldspar it mimics.

Looks like	How to tell them apart
Quartz (massive)	Nearly identical by eye, pollucite is slightly denser and lacks any crystal striations; lab confirmation is routine
Albite	Feldspar flashes cleavage planes; pollucite breaks glassy-conchoidal
Calcite	Fizzes and far softer

Check it yourself

At-home tests.

None of these need a lab. A 10x loupe, good daylight and a steady hand cover most of what a buyer needs to know about pollucite.

Test	What you should see
Acid check	No cleavage flash, no fizz
By eye	Slightly heavier than quartz look-alikes
By eye	Pegmatite context beside spodumene and lepidolite

If these checks leave you unsure, that is what appraisers are for. Do not file, heat or soak a piece to find out.

How to live with it

Care & handling.

At 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale it handles careful wear but scratches against quartz and dust. Store it separately and take rings off before rough work.

It breaks with no cleavage; conchoidal fracture, which is worth knowing before you set it or drop it.

Most damage happens during cleaning, not wearing. Avoid steamers, ultrasonic tanks and anything from under the sink.

Pairs well with.

For the serious reader

A deeper look.

Extended detail on composition, sourcing, authentication and market value.

The physical record

The formula on record is (Cs,Na)₂Al₂Si₄O₁₂·2H₂O. Crystal system: Isometric. Specific gravity: 2.7 to 3.0. Streak: White. Cleavage and fracture: No cleavage; conchoidal fracture.

How it reaches the market

Lithium-cesium pegmatites: Bernic Lake (Manitoba, Canada, world source), Maine (USA), Afghanistan, Italy (Elba).

What it gets confused with

Quartz (massive): Nearly identical by eye, pollucite is slightly denser and lacks any crystal striations; lab confirmation is routine. Albite: Feldspar flashes cleavage planes; pollucite breaks glassy-conchoidal. Calcite: Fizzes and far softer.

What it is worth

Collector mineral; faceted stones are specialist rarities.

One more thing

Atomic clocks run on cesium from pollucite, the definition of the second comes out of this plain white mineral.

From the Beyond Bohemian library

An education-first guide.

There is nothing to buy on this page. Pollucite is not part of our catalog, and the guide is here anyway because somebody searching the name deserves a straight answer.

Explore the Crystal Guide

Pollucite

Love Pollucite? Meet Moonstone.

The geology.

The origins.

Traditional associations.

Spotting the real thing.

At-home tests.

Care & handling.

Pairs well with.

A deeper look.

The physical record

How it reaches the market

What it gets confused with

What it is worth

One more thing

An education-first guide.

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Pollucite

The geology.

The origins.

Traditional associations.

Spotting the real thing.

At-home tests.

Care & handling.

Pairs well with.

A deeper look.

The physical record

How it reaches the market

What it gets confused with

What it is worth

One more thing

An education-first guide.

Most items are one of one or come in limited batches. See them, and the stories behind them, before anyone else.