Blakeite is a rare iron tellurite mineral that typically forms as small, tabular, reddish-brown crystals within oxidized zones of gold deposits. It is most commonly found in association with other tellurium minerals like emmonsite, making it a sought-after prize for micromounters and advanced collectors specializing in tellurates and tellurites.
Is this blakeite?
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 blakeite with a known reference. Blakeite sits at Mohs 3-4, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Blakeite leaves a yellowish brown streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Blakeite typically shows a adamantine luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: reddish brown, brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: tabular crystals.
Often confused with
Blakeite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Emmonsite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5 vs. 3-4); streak differs, so Blakeite leaves yellowish brown, Emmonsite leaves pale yellow; luster reads adamantine on Blakeite and vitreous on Emmonsite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Blakeite leaves yellowish brown, Rodalquilarite leaves pale yellow.
Often found alongside blakeite
Minerals reported to co-occur with blakeite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Fe₂³⁺(TeO₃)₃
- Mohs hardness
- 3-4
- Density
- 5.68 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Yellowish Brown
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Tabular Crystals
- Cleavage
- Distinct
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Oxidized Tellurium-bearing Hydrothermal Gold Deposits
- Typical price
- $50-500 depending on specimen size and quality
Where rockhounds find blakeite
Classic worldwide localities
- Tombstone, Arizona (USA)
- Moctezuma, Sonora (Mexico)
- Goldfield, Nevada (USA)
Field-hunting tip
Look in oxidized tellurium-bearing hydrothermal gold deposits country, the host setting where blakeite typically forms. If you start seeing emmonsite, quartz, tellurite 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 blakeite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
