Aikinite is a distinctive lead-copper-bismuth sulfide that typically forms slender, acicular crystals or elongated prisms with characteristic longitudinal striations. It is highly sought after by collectors for its sharp crystal habits and is most famously associated with the gold mines of the Berezovskoe district in Russia.
Is this aikinite?
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 aikinite with a known reference. Aikinite sits at Mohs 2-2.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: grayish black.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: lead gray, grayish black, reddish brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: acicular, massive.
Often confused with
Aikinite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Aikinite leaves grayish black, Wittichenite leaves black.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Aikinite leaves grayish black, Galena leaves lead-gray.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Aikinite leaves grayish black, Bournonite leaves steel-gray to iron-black; luster reads metallic on Aikinite and brilliant to dull on Bournonite.
Often found alongside aikinite
Minerals reported to co-occur with aikinite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- PbCuBiS₃
- Mohs hardness
- 2-2.5
- Density
- 7.07 g/cm³
- Streak
- Grayish black
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Acicular, massive
- Cleavage
- Indistinct on {010}
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector, Rare metal ore
- Host rock
- Uncommon in hydrothermal veins
Where rockhounds find aikinite
Classic worldwide localities
- Sells mine, Alta, Salt Lake Co., Utah, USA
- Cucomungo Spring and near the Sylvania Mountains, Esmeralda Co., Nevada, USA
- Old Lout mine, Poughkeepsie Gulch, near Ouray, San Juan Co., and in the Sunnyside mine, Eureka Co., Colorado, USA
- Chantilly quarry, near Arcola, Loudoun Co., Virginia, USA
- Beresovsk district, near Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk), Middle Ural Mountains (type locality), exceptional crystal sprays, Russia
- Djida, Buryat, Siberia, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Uncommon in hydrothermal veins. If you start seeing gold, pyrite, galena in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: acicular, massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify aikinite?+
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What rocks look like aikinite?+
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Find aikinite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
