Kurchatovite is a relatively uncommon calcium magnesium borate mineral typically found in skarn deposits. It often occurs as fine-grained, massive material or small prismatic crystals and is primarily sought after by systematic mineral collectors.
Is this kurchatovite?
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 kurchatovite with a known reference. Kurchatovite sits at Mohs 4.5, 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: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: light gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: granular, massive, prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Kurchatovite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Suanite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5.5 vs. 4.5); luster reads vitreous on Kurchatovite and silky to pearly on Suanite.
How to tell apart: Kurchatovite is noticeably harder (Mohs 4.5 vs. 3-3.5); luster reads vitreous on Kurchatovite and silky to dull on Szaibélyite.
Often found alongside kurchatovite
Minerals reported to co-occur with kurchatovite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CaMgB₂O₅
- Mohs hardness
- 4.5
- Density
- 3.02 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Semitransparent
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Granular, massive, prismatic crystals
- Cleavage
- One perfect, parallel elongation; two others, imperfect
- Fluorescence
- Bright violet under LW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In an iron-bearing skarn (Solongo deposit, Russia)
Where rockhounds find kurchatovite
Classic worldwide localities
- Solongo boron deposit, Buryatia, and at the Novofrolovskoye copper deposit, near Krasnoturinsk, Turinsk district, Northern Ural Mountains, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In an iron-bearing skarn (Solongo deposit, Russia). If you start seeing clinokurchatovite, szaibélyite, solongoite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: granular, massive, prismatic crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify kurchatovite?+
Where is kurchatovite found?+
What rocks look like kurchatovite?+
What minerals are found with kurchatovite?+
What kind of rock does kurchatovite form in?+
What is kurchatovite used for?+
Find kurchatovite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
