Häggite is a rare vanadium hydroxide mineral typically found as small, black to dark brown bladed or radiating crystals within sandstone deposits. It is a secondary mineral often associated with other vanadium-rich species like montroseite and is primarily sought after by advanced systematic mineral collectors.
Is this häggite?
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 häggite with a known reference. Häggite sits at Mohs 3 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Häggite leaves a brown streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Häggite typically shows a submetallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black, dark brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: bladed, acicular, radiating aggregates.
Often confused with
Häggite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Montroseite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5.5 vs. 3); streak differs — Häggite leaves brown, Montroseite leaves black; luster reads submetallic on Häggite and metallic on Montroseite.
How to tell apart: Paramontroseite is the harder of the two (Mohs 4-5 vs. 3); streak differs — Häggite leaves brown, Paramontroseite leaves black; luster reads submetallic on Häggite and metallic on Paramontroseite.
Often found alongside häggite
Minerals reported to co-occur with häggite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- V₂O₃(OH)₄
- Mohs hardness
- 3
- Density
- 3.5 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Brown
- Luster
- Submetallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Bladed, Acicular, Radiating Aggregates
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Sandstone-hosted Uranium-vanadium Deposits
- Typical price
- $50-300 per specimen
Where rockhounds find häggite
Classic worldwide localities
- Colorado, USA
- Utah, USA
- Kazakhstan
Field-hunting tip
Look in sandstone-hosted uranium-vanadium deposits country — that is the host setting where häggite typically forms. If you start seeing montroseite, corvusite, pyrolusite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a bladed, acicular, radiating aggregates habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find häggite on the map
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