Juabite is a very rare copper tellurite mineral discovered in the Tintic District of Utah. It typically occurs as small, delicate light-green platy crystals or crusts coating fractures in oxidized gold-bearing ores.
Is this juabite?
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 juabite with a known reference. Juabite sits at Mohs 3-4, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: pale green.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous to adamantine on cleavages.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: light green, emerald green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: platy crystals, crusts, aggregates.
Often confused with
Juabite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside juabite
Minerals reported to co-occur with juabite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CaCu₁₀(TeO₃)₄(AsO₄)₄(OH)₂·4H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 3-4
- Density
- 4.59 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Pale green
- Luster
- Vitreous to adamantine on cleavages
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Platy crystals, crusts, aggregates
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {010}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A very rare secondary mineral formed by the reaction of enargite and tellurium-enriched solutions
Where rockhounds find juabite
Classic worldwide localities
- Found on a dump at the Centennial Eureka mine, 1.5 km southwest of Eureka, Tintic district, Juab Co., Utah, USA
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A very rare secondary mineral formed by the reaction of enargite and tellurium-enriched solutions. If you start seeing enargite, beudantite, quartz in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: platy crystals, crusts, aggregates. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify juabite?+
Where is juabite found?+
Is juabite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like juabite?+
What minerals are found with juabite?+
What kind of rock does juabite form in?+
What is juabite used for?+
Find juabite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
