Cerargyrite, commonly known as horn silver, is a secondary silver mineral found in the oxidized zones of silver deposits. It is notable for its soft, waxy, or horn-like appearance and its tendency to darken when exposed to light.
Is this cerargyrite?
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 cerargyrite with a known reference. Cerargyrite sits at Mohs 1.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Cerargyrite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Cerargyrite typically shows a resinous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, white, gray, yellowish, brownish, violet.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: massive, encrusting, cubic crystals.
Often confused with
Cerargyrite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Cerargyrite leaves white, Bromargyrite leaves yellowish-white.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Cerargyrite leaves white, Iodargyrite leaves yellow.
How to tell apart: Calcite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3 vs. 1.5); luster reads resinous on Cerargyrite and vitreous on Calcite.
Often found alongside cerargyrite
Minerals reported to co-occur with cerargyrite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- AgCl
- Mohs hardness
- 1.5
- Density
- 5.55 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Resinous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Massive, Encrusting, Cubic Crystals
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector, Ore of Silver
- Host rock
- Oxidized Zones of Silver Ore Deposits
- Typical price
- $20-150 for thumbnail to small cabinet specimens
Where rockhounds find cerargyrite
3 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Broken Hill, Australia
- Chañarcillo, Chile
- Guanajuato, Mexico
- Leadville, Colorado, USA
- Tsumeb, Namibia
Field-hunting tip
Look in oxidized zones of silver ore deposits country, the host setting where cerargyrite typically forms. If you start seeing silver, iodargyrite, bromargyrite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive, encrusting, cubic crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in New Mexico, Texas. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find cerargyrite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
