The chemical formula of vorobyevite is Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈. It is generally regarded as an alkali beryl, implying that it contains alkali metals such as sodium, potassium or caesium, but vorobyevite is a still poorly understood mineral. This is why not everybody recognizes it as a new species under current mineralogical rules. Still under debate is what causes vorobyevite's unique morphology, the tabular hexagonal crystals or the multi-terminated variety.