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Wavellite
Wavellite is phosphates, Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3·5H2O. In the hand, it rates 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale, and it runs yellow-green and apple green. Break open the host rock and find perfect green pinwheels, hemispheres that fracture into dazzling radial starbursts, every needle fanning from a central point.
The geology.
Wavellite carries the formula Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3·5H2O. It belongs to the orthorhombic system. It is classified as phosphates.
It sits at 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale. The surface reads vitreous to silky, pearly on breaks. Light behaviour is translucent. Specific gravity runs 2.36. The streak is white. It breaks with perfect cleavage; uneven to splintery fracture.
Break open the host rock and find perfect green pinwheels, hemispheres that fracture into dazzling radial starbursts, every needle fanning from a central point.
You will most often meet it as radial hemispheres on fracture surfaces, starburst sprays or botryoidal crusts.
The origins.
Low-grade aluminous rocks, Mount Ida and Avant, Arkansas are world-classic; also Devon (England), where it was first described.
On value, the database notes: affordable; sharp green Arkansas starbursts are collector staples.
Traditional associations.
In energy work traditions, wavellite is said to help see the whole pattern of a situation before choosing a path.
People buy on this language, so it belongs on the page. It belongs under the facts, though, not over them.
Spotting the real thing.
Break open the host rock and find perfect green pinwheels, hemispheres that fracture into dazzling radial starbursts, every needle fanning from a central point.
Not faked; occasionally confused with green prehnite or dyed stones, but the radial fans are hard to counterfeit.
| Looks like | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Prehnite | Prehnite is harder (6 to 6.5) and forms thicker bow-tie and globular masses without crisp radial fans |
| Smithsonite | Smithsonite is much heavier and fizzes in warm acid |
| Malachite (pale) | Malachite is banded green with green streak; wavellite streaks white |
At-home tests.
You can run every one of these at a kitchen table. Good light matters more than gear when you are looking at wavellite.
| Test | What you should see |
|---|---|
| By eye | Radial starburst fracture pattern is nearly diagnostic |
| Scratch check | Knife scratches it (under 4) |
| By weight | Light heft (SG 2.36) |
Anything that scratches, burns or dissolves the piece is a lab job. Get it appraised rather than testing it apart.
Care & handling.
At 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale this is a soft material. Keep it as a display piece, store it apart from harder stones, and skip daily-wear settings.
It breaks with perfect cleavage; uneven to splintery fracture, which is worth knowing before you set it or drop it.
Warm water and a soft cloth clean almost everything. Ultrasonic tanks, steamers and household cleaners are where pieces get ruined.
A deeper look.
Extended detail on composition, sourcing, authentication and market value.
The physical record
The formula on record is Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3·5H2O. Crystal system: Orthorhombic. Specific gravity: 2.36. Streak: White. Cleavage and fracture: Perfect cleavage; uneven to splintery fracture.
How it reaches the market
Low-grade aluminous rocks, Mount Ida and Avant, Arkansas are world-classic; also Devon (England), where it was first described.
What it gets confused with
Prehnite: Prehnite is harder (6 to 6.5) and forms thicker bow-tie and globular masses without crisp radial fans. Smithsonite: Smithsonite is much heavier and fizzes in warm acid. Malachite (pale): Malachite is banded green with green streak; wavellite streaks white.
What it is worth
Affordable; sharp green Arkansas starbursts are collector staples.
Where buyers get caught
Not faked; occasionally confused with green prehnite or dyed stones, but the radial fans are hard to counterfeit.
One more thing
Named for Dr. William Wavell, the English physician who noticed the starbursts in Devon roadstone, Arkansas quarrymen later made 'busting for pinwheels' a collecting sport.
An education-first guide.
No product links here. We do not sell wavellite, and a guide that only covers our own shelves would not be much of a guide.
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