CERITE

    Class : Silicates
    Subclass : Nesosilicates
    Crystal system : Trigonal
    Chemistry : Ce9(Mg,Fe)(SiO4)6(SiO3OH)(OH)3
    Rarity : Uncommon

Cerite is a group of rare earth silicates of nepheline syenites and more generally of undersaturated alkaline rock massifs, in which it is frequently associated with other rare earth minerals such as bastnäsite or allanite, sometimes uraninite and epidote. It is called cerite-(CeCa) or ferricerite-(LaCa) depending on the dominant rare earth element. It gets its name because of the cerium it contains. It forms pseudo-octahedral crystals or hexagonal lamellae of 7 mm at most, and shapeless masses of a usually dark reddish-brown color.

Main photo : Cerite-(CeCa) from Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Canada © Stephan Wolfsried

Cerite in the World

The best crystals come from Bastnäs (Sweden) and nepheline syenites from Lovozero (Kola, Russia). Cerite-(CeCa) is also known among others at Mont Saint-Hilaire (Canada), and in the fenites and hydrothermal veins associated with the shonkinites of the Mountain Pass deposit (California).

Cerite in France

Cerite is not present in the French underground.

Twinning and special crystallizations

No twin known for this mineral species.

Fakes and treatments

No fake identified for this mineral species.


Hardness : 5.5
Density : 4.75
Fracture : Irregular
Streak : White to yellow

TP : Translucent to opaque
RI : 1.806 to 1.820
Birefringence : 0.004
Optical character : Uniaxial +
Pleochroism : Visible
Fluorescence : None

Solubility : Acids


Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None