Beudantite is a secondary mineral found in the oxidation zones of lead-bearing ore deposits. It typically forms small, sharp rhombohedral or pseudo-cubic crystals, often appearing in rich brown to yellow crusts or coatings on other host minerals.
Is this beudantite?
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 beudantite with a known reference. Beudantite sits at Mohs 3.5-4.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: grayish yellow to green.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous, resinous, may be frosted.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brown, green, yellow, dark green, orange.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: blocky, druse, platy.
Often confused with
Beudantite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Beudantite leaves grayish yellow to green, Jarosite leaves pale yellow; luster reads vitreous, resinous, may be frosted on Beudantite and subadamantine to vitreous, resinous on fractures on Jarosite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Beudantite leaves grayish yellow to green, Woodhouseite leaves white.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Beudantite leaves grayish yellow to green, Corkite leaves yellow.
Often found alongside beudantite
Minerals reported to co-occur with beudantite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- PbFe₃(AsO₄)(SO₄)(OH)₆
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4.5
- Density
- 4.48 g/cm³
- Streak
- Grayish yellow to green
- Luster
- Vitreous, resinous, may be frosted
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Blocky, druse, platy
- Cleavage
- Good on {0001}
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A secondary mineral in the oxidized zone of polymetallic deposits
Where rockhounds find beudantite
Classic worldwide localities
- Mohawk mine, Clark Mountains, San Bernardino Co., California, USA
- Bisbee, Cochise Co., Arizona, USA
- Louise mine, Horhausen, and the Schöne Aussicht mine, near Dernbach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
- Reichenbach, near Bensheim, Hesse, Germany
- Clara mine, near Oberwolfach, in the Black Forest, Germany
- Cap Garonne mine, near le Pradet, Var, and Blond, near Vauly, Haute-Vienne, France
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A secondary mineral in the oxidized zone of polymetallic deposits. If you start seeing carminite, scorodite, mimetite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: blocky, druse, platy. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find beudantite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
