It forms colorless, platey pseudohexagonal orthorhombic crystals that are typically twinned.

[5] At high temperatures or just erupted lava nyerereite is uniaxial and shows an interference color of second order blue when twinning is not present, and when twinning is there the interference color of nyerereite is first order grey.

[5] Since nyerereite is very unstable when it reaches the surface it creates pseudomorphs,[6] which is basically the process by which the rock appearance and dimensions remain constant but the main mineral component is replaced by another.

[7] It was first recognized and described by J.B. Dawson from the Ol Doinyo Lengai carbonatite lavas of Arusha Region in 1963 and named in honor of the president of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere (1922–1999).

It has also been reported from the Afrikanda alkaline intrusive complex, in the Kola Peninsula, Russia.