It forms monoclinic crystals, often twinned and variable in colour from colourless through yellow to green.

It forms a series with the more common hydroxylherderite, which has more hydroxyl ion than fluoride.

[2] It is found in many parts of the world, often in pegmatites and associated with other apatite minerals.

It was first described in 1828 for an occurrence in the Sauberg Mine, Ore Mountains, Saxony, Germany.

It was named for Saxon mining official Sigmund August Wolfgang von Herder (1776–1838).