Claraite is an extremely rare secondary copper-zinc mineral that typically forms as soft, sky-bluish green powdery crusts or coatings on baryte and other vein minerals. It is best identified by its vibrant color and its specific occurrence as a late-stage deposit in oxidized hydrothermal ore deposits.
Is this claraite?
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 claraite with a known reference. Claraite sits at Mohs ~2, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: light blue.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: blue.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: aggregates, fibrous, radial.
Often confused with
Claraite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Luster reads vitreous on Claraite and silky to pearly on Aurichalcite.
How to tell apart: Malachite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. ~2); streak differs, so Claraite leaves light blue, Malachite leaves pale green; luster reads vitreous on Claraite and adamantine to vitreous; silky if fibrous; dull to earthy if massive on Malachite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Claraite leaves light blue, Chrysocolla leaves white when pure.
Often found alongside claraite
Minerals reported to co-occur with claraite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (Cu,Zn)₁₅(CO₃)₄(AsO₄)₂(SO₄)(OH)₁₄·7H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- ~2
- Density
- 3.35 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Light blue
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Semitransparent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Aggregates, fibrous, radial
- Cleavage
- On pseudo-{1010}, perfect
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A rare secondary mineral in oxidized Cu–Zn deposits
Where rockhounds find claraite
Classic worldwide localities
- Clara mine, near Oberwolfach, Black Forest, Germany
- Rudabánya, Hungary
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A rare secondary mineral in oxidized Cu–Zn deposits. If you start seeing malachite, azurite, olivenite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: aggregates, fibrous, radial. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find claraite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
