Beckettite is a rare copper vanadium mineral found primarily as tiny tabular crystals in oxidized copper deposits. It is a highly sought-after species by advanced collectors due to its limited type locality at the Blue Bell mine in California.
Is this beckettite?
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 beckettite with a known reference. Beckettite sits at Mohs 4 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Beckettite leaves a greenish-gray streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Beckettite typically shows a submetallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: dark green, blackish-green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals.
Often confused with
Beckettite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside beckettite
Minerals reported to co-occur with beckettite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Cu₂V₂O₇
- Mohs hardness
- 4
- Density
- 5.35 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Greenish-gray
- Luster
- Submetallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular Crystals
- Cleavage
- Good
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Oxidized Hydrothermal Zones
- Typical price
- $100-500 per specimen
Where rockhounds find beckettite
Classic worldwide localities
- Blue Bell mine, California, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in oxidized hydrothermal zones country — that is the host setting where beckettite typically forms. If you start seeing calcite, barite, mottramite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a tabular crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find beckettite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
