Housleyite is a rare lead-copper tellurite mineral discovered in the oxidized zones of ore deposits. It is best identified as microscopic, transparent to translucent yellow tabular crystals or thin plates often associated with other rare tellurite minerals.
Is this housleyite?
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 housleyite with a known reference. Housleyite 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. Streak: pale blue.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: adamantine; frosted crystal faces are dull.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: medium greenish blue, pale.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, thin plates.
Often confused with
Housleyite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Housleyite leaves pale blue, Wulfenite leaves white; luster reads adamantine; frosted crystal faces are dull on Housleyite and resinous, subadamantine to adamantine on Wulfenite.
How to tell apart: Emmonsite is the harder of the two (Mohs ~5 vs. 3); luster reads adamantine; frosted crystal faces are dull on Housleyite and vitreous on Emmonsite.
Often found alongside housleyite
Minerals reported to co-occur with housleyite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Pb₆CuTe₄O₁₈(OH)₂
- Mohs hardness
- 3
- Density
- 7.845 g/cm³
- Colors
- Medium greenish bluePale
- Streak
- Pale blue
- Luster
- Adamantine; frosted crystal faces are dull
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular crystals, thin plates
- Cleavage
- Likely on {101̄}, based on the crystal structure
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A secondary phase on fracture surfaces and in small vugs in quartz veins
Where rockhounds find housleyite
Classic worldwide localities
- Aga mine, and the Bird Nest Drift, Otto Mountain, ~2 km northwest of Baker, San Bernardino County, California, USA
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A secondary phase on fracture surfaces and in small vugs in quartz veins. If you start seeing acanthite, cerussite, gold in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular crystals, thin plates. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify housleyite?+
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Find housleyite on the map
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