Color is varied with colors of pink, salmon-pink, yellow, colorless, red and even brown or black. Luster is vitreous. Specimens are transparent to translucent. Crystal Habits include prismatic slender crystals and radial aggregate sprays. Crystals are usually altered or partially dissolved.
Cleavage is good in two directions at right angles.
Fracture is conchoidal. Hardness is 5. Streak is white. Associated Minerals include rose quartz , lithiophilite , hureaulite and triphylite . Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, color, associations, localities and density.