Fairbankite is an extremely rare lead tellurite mineral discovered in the oxidized zones of tellurium-rich ore deposits. It typically forms thin tabular crystals or delicate crusts and is highly sought after by advanced mineral collectors specializing in tellurium species.
Is this fairbankite?
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 fairbankite with a known reference. Fairbankite 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: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: resinous to adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, crusts.
Often confused with
Fairbankite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Mroseite is the harder of the two (Mohs ~4 vs. 2); luster reads resinous to adamantine on Fairbankite and adamantine on Mroseite.
How to tell apart: Winstanleyite is the harder of the two (Mohs 4 vs. 2); streak differs, so Fairbankite leaves white, Winstanleyite leaves very pale yellow; luster reads resinous to adamantine on Fairbankite and adamantine on Winstanleyite.
Often found alongside fairbankite
Minerals reported to co-occur with fairbankite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Pb₁₂(TeO₃)₁₁(SO₄)
- Mohs hardness
- 2
- Density
- 7.45 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Resinous to adamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular crystals, crusts
- Cleavage
- Indistinct
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Very rare on the mine dump from a hydrothermal Au-Te-bearing ore deposit
Where rockhounds find fairbankite
Classic worldwide localities
- Grand Central mine, Tombstone, Cochise Co., Arizona, USA
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Very rare on the mine dump from a hydrothermal Au-Te-bearing ore deposit. If you start seeing winstanleyite, cerussite, chlorargyrite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular crystals, crusts. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find fairbankite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
