It is almost identical to arfvedsonite in appearance and is indistinguishable visually. Color varies from blue-green to black. Luster is vitreous to dull. Diaphaneity is translucent to opaque. Crystal Habits include prismatic crystals to 9cm and fine- grained matrix material.
Fracture is uneven to subconchoidal.
Hardness is 5 - 6. Streak is dark bluish-gray. Associated Minerals include aegirine, albite, analcime, ancylite biotite, calcite, catapleiite, eudialyte, fluorite, microcline, narsarsukite, natrolite, petarasite, polylithionite, rhodochrosite and titanite.