Fritzscheite is a rare secondary uranium mineral often found as reddish-orange platy crystals or crusts. Due to its radioactive nature and scarcity, it is sought after primarily by advanced mineral collectors who specialize in uranium species.
Is this fritzscheite?
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 fritzscheite with a known reference. Fritzscheite sits at Mohs 2.25-3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: reddish brown to hyacinth-red.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous to pearly.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: reddish brown, red.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: platy.
Often confused with
Fritzscheite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Fritzscheite leaves reddish brown to hyacinth-red, Autunite leaves pale yellow.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Fritzscheite leaves reddish brown to hyacinth-red, Torbernite leaves pale green.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Fritzscheite leaves reddish brown to hyacinth-red, Meta-autunite leaves yellow; luster reads vitreous to pearly on Fritzscheite and pearly to dull on Meta-autunite.
Often found alongside fritzscheite
Minerals reported to co-occur with fritzscheite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mn(UO₂)₂(VO₄)₂·4H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 2.25-3
- Density
- 3.504 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Reddish brown to hyacinth-red
- Luster
- Vitreous to pearly
- Transparency
- Translucent to opaque
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Platy
- Cleavage
- Basal, perfect; prismatic, distinct
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In a hematite deposit (Nove Hamry, Czech Republic)
Where rockhounds find fritzscheite
Classic worldwide localities
- Georg Wagsfort mine, Johanngeorgenstadt, and at Schneeberg, Saxony, Germany
- Nove Hamry, near Nejdek (Neuhammer, near Neudeck), Czech Republic
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In a hematite deposit (Nove Hamry, Czech Republic). If you start seeing autunite, torbernite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: platy. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find fritzscheite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
