Its green color makes it easy to confuse with the green varieties of microlite, but microlite is generally denser and much softer. Color is pale yellow, reddish-brown, red, olive or even emerald green. Luster is vitreous to resinous. Crystals are generally translucent with darker specimens being opaque. Although the name microlite was applied to the mineral for the tiny crystals that were first found, larger crystals up to 2 cm have been found.
Fracture is subconchoidal to uneven.
Variation caused by extent of inclusion of trace metals into the structure. Streak is white or pale yellow to brown. Associated Minerals include quartz , feldspars , calcite , columbite , tantalite , zircon , biotite , lepidolite , spodumene and simpsonite . Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, luster, fracture, color, hardness, radioactivity, associations, environment and specific gravity.