Chambersite is a rare manganese borate mineral typically found in salt dome cap rock environments. It is highly prized by collectors for its distinct tetrahedral crystal habit and striking purple to violet coloration.
Is this chambersite?
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 chambersite with a known reference. Chambersite sits at Mohs 7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, purple red.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: euhedral crystals, pseudo tetragonal.
Often confused with
Chambersite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside chambersite
Minerals reported to co-occur with chambersite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mn₃B₇O₁₃Cl
- Mohs hardness
- 7
- Density
- 3.49 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent to opaque
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Euhedral crystals, pseudo tetragonal
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Scientific research
- Host rock
- In brine residues from extraction wells in salt domes
Where rockhounds find chambersite
Classic worldwide localities
- Barber’s Hill salt dome, Mont Belvieu, Chambers Co., Texas and the Venice salt dome, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, USA
- Jixian Mn–B deposits, Hebei Province, China
- Pomyarka, near Truskarets, Carpathian Mountains, Ukraine
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In brine residues from extraction wells in salt domes. If you start seeing halite, anhydrite, gypsum in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: euhedral crystals, pseudo tetragonal. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify chambersite?+
Where is chambersite found?+
What rocks look like chambersite?+
What minerals are found with chambersite?+
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Find chambersite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
