It is a late stage mineral in the paragenesis sequence. It is one of the most common REE mineral species at Mont Saint-Hilaire. Luster is dull pearly for the flakes and dull for pseudomorphs. Crystal Habits include minute hexagonal or rounded flakes, very small spheres and rosettes, crude prismatic pseudomorph to 5cm.
Fracture is uneven.
Streak is white. Associated Minerals include aegirine, albite, amphibole group, analcime, ancylite, apophyllite series, ashcroftine, astrophyllite, barite, brookite, calcite, catapleiite, cordylite, donnayite, elpidite, epididymite, fluorapatite, fluorite, galena, leucophanite, lorenzenite, natrolite, pyrochlore, pyrophanite, quartz, rhodochrosite, rutile, s randite, siderite and zircon.