[3] The mineral occurs as euhedral prisms up to 1 mm (0.039 in) or as radial clusters of acicular (needle-like) crystals.

[3] Ruizite occurs in association with apophyllite, bornite, calcite, chalcopyrite, datolite, diopside, grossular, inesite, junitoite, kinoite, orientite, pectolite, quartz, smectite, sphalerite, vesuvianite, and wollastonite.

[5] Ruizite's structure consists of edge-sharing Mnφ6 octahedra, connected at corners into sheets and together into a lattice by clusters of Si4O11(OH)2.

Mine geologist Dave Cook located better specimens, and it was determined to be a new mineral species.

Ruizite's properties were analyzed using a sample provided by Joseph Urban, and it was described in the journal Mineralogical Magazine in December 1977.