Agaite is an extremely rare lead copper tellurate mineral first discovered in the Berezovskoye gold deposit in the Ural Mountains. It typically forms small, blue tabular crystals or thin crusts in highly oxidized zones of mineral deposits.
Is this agaite?
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 agaite with a known reference. Agaite sits at Mohs 2-3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: pale blue.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: blue.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, crusts.
Often confused with
Agaite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Emmonsite is the harder of the two (Mohs ~5 vs. 2-3); luster reads adamantine on Agaite and vitreous on Emmonsite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Agaite leaves pale blue, Maldonite leaves black; luster reads adamantine on Agaite and metallic on Maldonite.
Often found alongside agaite
Minerals reported to co-occur with agaite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Pb₃CuTeO₅(OH)₂(CO₃)
- Mohs hardness
- 2-3
- Density
- 6.987 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Pale blue
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular crystals, crusts
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {010}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A secondary phase formed by partial oxidation of tellurides, chalcopyrite and galena in quartz veins
Where rockhounds find agaite
Classic worldwide localities
- Aga mine, Otto Mountain, near Baker, California, USA
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A secondary phase formed by partial oxidation of tellurides, chalcopyrite and galena in quartz veins. If you start seeing cerussite, br-rich chlorargyrite, chrysocolla in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular crystals, crusts. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify agaite?+
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Find agaite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
