Georgeite is a rare, amorphous copper carbonate hydroxide that typically occurs as soft, earthy, pale blue crusts or botryoidal coatings. It is an unstable secondary mineral found in the oxidation zones of copper deposits, often altering into malachite over time.
Is this georgeite?
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 georgeite with a known reference. Georgeite sits at Mohs 1-2, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: very pale blue.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous to earthy.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: light blue.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: amorphous. Typical habit: encrustations.
Often confused with
Georgeite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Malachite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. 1-2); streak differs, so Georgeite leaves very pale blue, Malachite leaves pale green; luster reads vitreous to earthy on Georgeite and adamantine to vitreous; silky if fibrous; dull to earthy if massive on Malachite.
How to tell apart: Azurite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. 1-2); streak differs, so Georgeite leaves very pale blue, Azurite leaves pale blue.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Georgeite leaves very pale blue, Aurichalcite leaves light blue; luster reads vitreous to earthy on Georgeite and silky to pearly on Aurichalcite.
Often found alongside georgeite
Minerals reported to co-occur with georgeite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂·xH₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 1-2
- Density
- 2.55 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Very pale blue
- Luster
- Vitreous to earthy
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Amorphous
- Crystal habit
- Encrustations
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A rare secondary mineral in oxidized portions of a Ni–Cu sulfide deposit
Where rockhounds find georgeite
Classic worldwide localities
- Carr Boyd Rocks nickel mine, Yerilla district, 80 km north-northeast of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A rare secondary mineral in oxidized portions of a Ni–Cu sulfide deposit. If you start seeing malachite, chalconatronite, nickelian magnesite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: encrustations. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find georgeite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
