Barikaite is a rare silver lead antimony sulfosalt that forms grayish black elongated grains. Associated minerals include guettardite, quartz and barite. It was first described from Barika Au-Ag deposit, Azarbaijan Province, Western Iran.
Is this barikaite?
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 barikaite with a known reference. Barikaite sits at Mohs ~3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: dark gray.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: grayish black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: elongated grains.
Often confused with
Barikaite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Allactite is the harder of the two (Mohs 4.5 vs. ~3); streak differs, so Barikaite leaves dark gray, Allactite leaves gray to faint brown; luster reads metallic on Barikaite and vitreous, slightly greasy on fracture surfaces on Allactite.
How to tell apart: Holdenite is the harder of the two (Mohs 4 vs. ~3); streak differs, so Barikaite leaves dark gray, Holdenite leaves white; luster reads metallic on Barikaite and vitreous on Holdenite.
Often found alongside barikaite
Minerals reported to co-occur with barikaite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ag₃Pb₁₀(Sb₈As₁₁)Σ₁₉S₄₀
- Mohs hardness
- ~3
- Density
- 5.34 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Dark gray
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Elongated grains
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In hydrothermal quartz-barite veinlets cutting a folded and metamorphosed volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit containing Ag-As-Sb-Pb-rich sulfosalt mineralization
Where rockhounds find barikaite
Classic worldwide localities
- Barika Au-Ag deposit, Azarbaijan Province, Western Iran
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In hydrothermal quartz-barite veinlets cutting a folded and metamorphosed volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit containing Ag-As-Sb-Pb-rich sulfosalt mineralization. If you start seeing guettardite, quartz, barite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: elongated grains. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find barikaite on the map
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