Abhurite is a rare tin-oxychloride mineral that typically forms as a result of the corrosion of tin-bearing artifacts submerged in seawater. It usually presents as small, colorless to white platy or tabular crystals on the surface of the corroded metal.
Is this abhurite?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch abhurite with a known reference. Abhurite sits at Mohs 2, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: opalescent.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: euhedral crystals.
Often confused with
Abhurite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Cassiterite is the harder of the two (Mohs 6-7 vs. 2); luster reads opalescent on Abhurite and adamantine to adamantine metallic, splendent; may be greasy on fractures on Cassiterite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Abhurite leaves white, Romarchite leaves black; luster reads opalescent on Abhurite and submetallic on Romarchite.
Often found alongside abhurite
Minerals reported to co-occur with abhurite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Sn₂₁O₆(OH)₁₄Cl₁₆
- Mohs hardness
- 2
- Density
- 4.42 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Opalescent
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Euhedral crystals
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In blisterlike protuberances on the surface of a tin ingot recovered from a ship wrecked possibly 100 years ago (Sharm Abhur cove, Saudi Arabia)
Where rockhounds find abhurite
Classic worldwide localities
- Sharm Abhur, a cove in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, Jiddah, Red Sea (type locality)
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In blisterlike protuberances on the surface of a tin ingot recovered from a ship wrecked possibly 100 years ago (Sharm Abhur cove, Saudi Arabia). If you start seeing romarchite, kutnohorite, aragonite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: euhedral crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify abhurite?+
Where is abhurite found?+
Is abhurite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like abhurite?+
What minerals are found with abhurite?+
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Find abhurite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
