Kobyashevite is a rare secondary copper sulfate mineral typically found as delicate, pale blue platy crystals or thin crusts in the oxidized zones of copper deposits. It is often identified by its association with other secondary copper minerals and its tendency to occur in small, distinctively blue clusters that require magnification to fully appreciate.
Is this kobyashevite?
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 kobyashevite with a known reference. Kobyashevite sits at Mohs 2-3 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Kobyashevite leaves a pale blue streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Kobyashevite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: blue, pale blue.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: platy crystals, crusts, aggregates.
Often confused with
Kobyashevite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside kobyashevite
Minerals reported to co-occur with kobyashevite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Cu₅(SO₄)₂(OH)₆·4H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 2-3
- Density
- 3.37 g/cm³
- Streak
- Pale Blue
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Platy Crystals, Crusts, Aggregates
- Cleavage
- Perfect
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Oxidized Hydrothermal Copper Deposits
- Typical price
- $50-300 per specimen depending on crystal size and quality.
Where rockhounds find kobyashevite
Classic worldwide localities
- Kobyashev mine, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia
- Rowley mine, Arizona, USA
- Laurion, Greece
Field-hunting tip
Look in oxidized hydrothermal copper deposits country — that is the host setting where kobyashevite typically forms. If you start seeing brochantite, gypsum, goethite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a platy crystals, crusts, aggregates habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify kobyashevite?+
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How much is kobyashevite worth?+
Is kobyashevite safe to handle?+
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Find kobyashevite on the map
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