$40Median
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Microlite specimens for sale
18 for sale · $50–$16,000 USD
34 in the gallery
Microlite is a tetragonal mineral that forms in small, often imperfect crystals and granular masses. It typically appears as colorless to brownish or grayish varieties with a vitreous to submetallic luster and a pale to dark appearance depending on impurity content. Crystals are usually diminutive, and habit can range from acicular to platy, frequently occurring in hydrothermal ore veins alongside other tin- and tungsten-rich minerals.
- Formula
- A2-mTa2X6-wZ-n
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Stability
- Stable
- Collector interest
- Moderate Interest
- Classification notes
- Oxide; pyrochlore supergroup, microlite group
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- isometric
- Mohs hardness
- 5–5.5
- Specific gravity
- 4.2–6.4
- Luster
- vitreous, resinous, greasy
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent, opaque
- Color
- colorless, white, gray, brown, red, yellow, green, black
- Streak
- white, yellow, brown
- Cleavage
- indistinct
- Fracture
- subconchoidal, uneven
- Crystal habit
- octahedral, granular, massive
- Gem mineral
- Radioactive
Buy Microlite specimens
View all 18Where Microlite is found
Top localities
- Ipê mine6 specimens
- Afghanistan5 specimens
- Paprok5 specimens
- Alto Ligonha Pegmatite Field3 specimens
- Dara-e-Pech pegmatite field2 specimens
- Pakistan1 specimen
- Badel Mine1 specimen
- Jenipapo mine1 specimen
- Khas Kunar District1 specimen
- Linópolis1 specimen
About Microlite
Notable localities include Afghanistan, Brazil, Pakistan, the United States, and Mozambique, where microlite specimens are found in hydrothermal veins and pegmatites associated with tin, tungsten, or rare-element mineralization. Collectors value microlite for its classic, understated crystal forms and its association with complex mineral assemblages typical of hydrothermal environments. It is commonly collected for cabinet displays rather than as a sole focal point, with specimens often appreciated for their matrix context and provenance.
Overall, microlite offers a compact, intriguing glimpse into high-temperature hydrothermal processes, inviting collectors to study crystal habit, luster, and locality chemistry within a concise mineral suite.
