Kawazulite is a rare bismuth telluride mineral often found in hydrothermal gold-bearing veins. It typically presents as metallic, platy, or lamellar masses that are easily confused with other minerals in the tetradymite group due to their similar physical properties and gray, metallic appearance.
Is this kawazulite?
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 kawazulite with a known reference. Kawazulite sits at Mohs 1.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: pale steel-gray.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: tin white, silver white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: platy, lamellar, or massive.
Often confused with
Kawazulite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside kawazulite
Minerals reported to co-occur with kawazulite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Bi₂Te₂Se
- Mohs hardness
- 1.5
- Density
- 7.79 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Pale steel-gray
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Platy, lamellar, or massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {0001}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Of hydrothermal origin, in a quartz veins (Kawazu and Suttsu mines, Japan); in a breccia pipe cutting dacitic ignimbrites (Mazenod Lake, Canada)
Where rockhounds find kawazulite
Classic worldwide localities
- Lone Pine mine, near Silver City, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA
- Ward mine, south of Ely, Ward district, White Pine Co., and at Montreal Canyon, Fitting district, Mineral Co., Nevada, USA
- Kawazu mine, three km north of Shimoda, Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture (type locality), and at the Suttsu mine, Hokkaido, Japan
- Dianne Cu–U claims, Mazenod Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada
- Jilové, Czech Republic
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Of hydrothermal origin, in a quartz veins (Kawazu and Suttsu mines, Japan); in a breccia pipe cutting dacitic ignimbrites (Mazenod Lake, Canada). If you start seeing selenian tellurium, tellurobismuthite, uraninite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: platy, lamellar, or massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify kawazulite?+
Where is kawazulite found?+
Is kawazulite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like kawazulite?+
What minerals are found with kawazulite?+
What kind of rock does kawazulite form in?+
What is kawazulite used for?+
Find kawazulite on the map
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