How do I identify Malayaite?

Malayaite can be identified by its hardness of 3.5 - 4 on the Mohs scale, Pale creamy-yellow color. Look for these key characteristics when examining specimens.

What color is Malayaite?

Malayaite typically appears in Pale creamy-yellow, deep orange-yellow. Color can vary depending on impurities and formation conditions.

How hard is Malayaite?

Malayaite has a hardness of 3.5 - 4 on the Mohs scale. This gives it moderate hardness.

Malayaite

A variety of Minerals

What is Malayaite?

Malayaite is a calcium tin silicate mineral with formula CaSnO[SiO4]. It is a member of the titanite group.

Malayaite Market Value Calculator

Estimate the market value of Malayaite using size, quality, and finish. This preview calculator is for quick context and is not a formal appraisal.

Malayaite Localities Map

See where Malayaite is found with a localities map, collecting zones, and geology context. Generate a sample map preview below.

Map preview

North ZoneCentral RidgeSouth Basin

Key Characteristics

Characteristics of Malayaite

Malayaite exhibits anisotropy so it is doubly refractive and breaks up the light that travels through it into two distinct rays of different speeds. This mineral is known to have very high optical relief and has three indices of refraction. Since it is a monoclinic mineral, Malayaite exhibits two different colors under plane polarized light making it a pleochroic mineral. Malayaite is biaxial birefringent (trirefringent).

Formation of Malayaite

This mineral is generally found in tin-rich contact metamorphic skarn deposits. There is a possibility that malayaite is a hydrothermal altered form of cassiterite-quartz assemblage or some tin-bearing mineral. There have been specimens that were found with malayaite as a coating mineral on cassiterite.