Canasite is a mineral whose name is derived from its chemical composition of calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), and silicon (Si).

[4] It has a barely detectable 1.12% potassium radioactivity based on the GRapi unit (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units).

[5] It consists of mostly oxygen (41.98%), silicon (26.8%) and calcium (15.93%), but otherwise contains sodium (7.31%), potassium (6.22%), which gives its radioactive properties, fluorine (1.51%) and hydrogen (0.24%).

Purple canasite may be confused with stichtite, but recent research has found that the mineral advertized as canasite is a new specimen.

In Khibiny massif, it is associated with titanite, eudialyte, orthoclase, nepheline, pyroxene, lamprophyllite and fenaksite, while the specimens from Murun massif are usually associated with charoite, tinaksite and miserite.