Color is black to dark brown or yellowish brown in smaller crystals. Luster is vitreous to adamantine or pitchy when more massive. Crystals are nearly opaque in massive forms and translucent in small crystals. Crystal Habits include tabular to prismatic almost blocky crystals, some with well formed domal terminations. Cleavage is absent.
Fracture is conchoidal.
Streak is reddish brown or reddish yellow. Associated Minerals include quartz , feldspars , euxenite , fergusonite , monazite , columbite , tantalite , allanite , gadolinite , xenotime and zircon. Best Field Indicators are luster, fracture, color, streak, associations, environment and specific gravity.