Krauskopfite is an extremely rare barium silicate mineral primarily found in the metamorphosed rocks of Fresno County, California. It typically forms colorless to white prismatic crystals that can appear in radial aggregates, often associated with other rare barium minerals like sanbornite.
Is this krauskopfite?
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 krauskopfite with a known reference. Krauskopfite sits at Mohs ~4, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: subvitreous, pearly on cleavages.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: prismatic.
Often confused with
Krauskopfite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside krauskopfite
Minerals reported to co-occur with krauskopfite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- BaSi₂O₅·3H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- ~4
- Density
- 3.14 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Subvitreous, pearly on cleavages
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {010} and {001} intersecting at 90° , with a third poor cleavage at a high angle to the other two
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In veins cutting sanbornite-quartz-bearing gneissic metamorphic rocks
Where rockhounds find krauskopfite
Classic worldwide localities
- Calfornia, from the [Esquire No. 1 claim,] Rush Creek area, Fresno Co., in Chickencoop Canyon, Tulare Co., and on Trumbull Peak, near Incline, Mariposa Co, USA
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In veins cutting sanbornite-quartz-bearing gneissic metamorphic rocks. If you start seeing macdonaldite, opal, witherite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: prismatic. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify krauskopfite?+
Where is krauskopfite found?+
What rocks look like krauskopfite?+
What minerals are found with krauskopfite?+
What kind of rock does krauskopfite form in?+
What is krauskopfite used for?+
Find krauskopfite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
