Chabournéite is a rare thallium-arsenic sulfosalt primarily known from the Allchar mine in North Macedonia. It typically appears as small, dark grey to black metallic grains or crystals associated with other rare thallium minerals in hydrothermal veins.
Is this chabournéite?
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 chabournéite with a known reference. Chabournéite sits at Mohs 3-3.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: red-brown.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: submetallic to greasy.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: tabular to prismatic crystals, often as irregular masses.
Often confused with
Chabournéite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Chabournéite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3-3.5 vs. 1.5-2); streak differs, so Chabournéite leaves red-brown, Realgar leaves red-orange to red; luster reads submetallic to greasy on Chabournéite and resinous to greasy on Realgar.
How to tell apart: Chabournéite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3-3.5 vs. 1.5-2); streak differs, so Chabournéite leaves red-brown, Orpiment leaves pale lemon-yellow; luster reads submetallic to greasy on Chabournéite and resinous, pearly on cleavage surface on Orpiment.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Chabournéite leaves red-brown, Lorándite leaves cherry-red; luster reads submetallic to greasy on Chabournéite and metallic, adamantine on Lorándite.
Often found alongside chabournéite
Minerals reported to co-occur with chabournéite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- AgzTl₈-x-zPb₄+2xSb₄₀-x-yAsyS₆₈ (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.40, 16.15 ≤ y ≤ 19.11, 0.04 ≤ z ≤ 0.11)
- Mohs hardness
- 3-3.5
- Density
- 5.104 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Red-brown
- Luster
- Submetallic to greasy
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular to prismatic crystals, often as irregular masses
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In a hydrothermal deposit in dolomitic limestones with other As–Tl minerals (Jas Roux, France)
Where rockhounds find chabournéite
Classic worldwide localities
- Jas Roux deposit, 10 km east of Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, Hautes-Alpes (type locality), France
- Toya mine, Abuta, Hokkaido, Japan
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In a hydrothermal deposit in dolomitic limestones with other As–Tl minerals (Jas Roux, France). If you start seeing pierrotite, parapierrotite, stibnite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular to prismatic crystals, often as irregular masses. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify chabournéite?+
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Is chabournéite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like chabournéite?+
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Find chabournéite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
