Cuprite is a striking deep-red secondary mineral that forms in the oxidized zones of copper deposits. It often appears as brilliant, gemmy octahedral crystals or as the fibrous, hair-like variety known as chalcotrichite. Collectors should handle it with care due to its softness and high density, and always wash hands after handling due to its copper content.
Is this cuprite?
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 cuprite with a known reference. Cuprite sits at Mohs 3.5-4, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: brownish red, shining.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: adamantine to submetallic, earthy.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: red, dark red, cochineal red, brown red, purple red, black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: capillary, massive.
Often confused with
Cuprite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Cuprite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. 2-2.5); streak differs, so Cuprite leaves brownish red, shining, Cinnabar leaves scarlet.
How to tell apart: Cuprite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. 2-2.5); streak differs, so Cuprite leaves brownish red, shining, Proustite leaves vermilion.
How to tell apart: Hematite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5-6 vs. 3.5-4); streak differs, so Cuprite leaves brownish red, shining, Hematite leaves cherry-red or reddish brown; luster reads adamantine to submetallic, earthy on Cuprite and metallic or submetallic to dull on Hematite.
Often found alongside cuprite
Minerals reported to co-occur with cuprite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Cu₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4
- Density
- 6.14 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Brownish red, shining
- Luster
- Adamantine to submetallic, earthy
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Capillary, massive
- Cleavage
- {111}, interrupted; {001}, rare
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Minor copper ore
- Host rock
- A common mineral in the oxidized portions of many copper deposits
Where rockhounds find cuprite
30 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Bisbee, Cochise Co., at Ray, Pinal Co., Globe, Gila Co., Arizona, USA
- Santa Rita, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA
- Bogoslovsk, Nizhni Tagil, and Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk), Ural Mountains, Russia
- Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan
- Rheinbreitbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Onganja mine, 60 km northeast of Windhoek, and at Tsumeb, Namibia
U.S. states with cuprite
Each link opens a state-specific list of mapped rockhounding spots that produce cuprite.
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A common mineral in the oxidized portions of many copper deposits. If you start seeing copper, tenorite, malachite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: capillary, massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Utah, Missouri, New Jersey. Start trip planning there.
More cuprite photos
Common questions
How do you identify cuprite?+
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Find cuprite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
