The facts
What cancrinite actually is
Cancrinite is classified as feldspathoid, with the composition Na₆Ca₂(Al₆Si₆O₂₄)(CO₃)₂·2H₂O. It crystallises in the hexagonal system.
Colour comes from yellow to orange from carbonate and sulphide colour centres; also pink and blue, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.491–1.524. Specific gravity around 2.42–2.52. Cleavage: perfect prismatic. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where cancrinite comes from
Cancrinite is produced at Bancroft, Ontario, Canada, Litchfield, Maine, USA and Kola Peninsula, Russia.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How cancrinite is treated
Untreated. Often occurs intergrown with sodalite in the blue-and-yellow ornamental rock sold from Canada and Afghanistan.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What cancrinite is confused with
In the trade cancrinite is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Sodalite, Scapolite or Amber.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.491–1.524 and specific gravity 2.42–2.52 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What cancrinite is used for
Demand for cancrinite comes from mineral collecting, carving and sculpture and decorative objects, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen, by the block or by the piece.
Durability and care
Cancrinite is 5–6 on the Mohs scale, with perfect prismatic cleavage.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What cancrinite costs
As a guide, cancrinite trades around Cabochons 10–60 USD; faceted stones scarce, 50–200 USD/ct.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is cancrinite treated, and how?
Untreated. Often occurs intergrown with sodalite in the blue-and-yellow ornamental rock sold from Canada and Afghanistan.
Where does cancrinite come from?
Bancroft, Ontario, Canada, Litchfield, Maine, USA and Kola Peninsula, Russia. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is cancrinite hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 5–6 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does cancrinite cost?
Indicatively Cabochons 10–60 USD; faceted stones scarce, 50–200 USD/ct. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is cancrinite confused with?
Most often Sodalite, Scapolite and Amber. A refractive index of 1.491–1.524 and a specific gravity near 2.42–2.52 separate it quickly.
What is cancrinite used for besides jewellery?
mineral collecting, carving and sculpture and decorative objects. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for cancrinite?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about cancrinite