Altaite is a rare lead telluride mineral that typically appears as metallic, tin-white masses or grains within gold-bearing hydrothermal veins. Collectors look for its characteristic perfect cubic cleavage and high density, often found alongside native gold and other telluride minerals.
Is this altaite?
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 altaite with a known reference. Altaite sits at Mohs 2.5-3 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Altaite leaves a black streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Altaite typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: tin-white, yellowish-white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: granular, massive, rarely in cubic crystals.
Often confused with
Altaite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside altaite
Minerals reported to co-occur with altaite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- PbTe
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5-3
- Density
- 8.1-8.3 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Black
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Granular, Massive, Rarely in Cubic Crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect On {100}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Ore of Tellurium
- Host rock
- Epithermal Gold-telluride Hydrothermal Veins
- Typical price
- $30-150 thumbnail, $200+ cabinet
Where rockhounds find altaite
Classic worldwide localities
- Zavodinskoye, Kazakhstan
- Aguilar Mine, Argentina
- Crippled Creek, Colorado, USA
- Nagyág, Romania
Field-hunting tip
Look in epithermal gold-telluride hydrothermal veins country — that is the host setting where altaite typically forms. If you start seeing galena, gold, tellurobismuthite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a granular, massive, rarely in cubic crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find altaite on the map
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