Otavite is a rare cadmium carbonate that most notably occurs as translucent to transparent rhombohedral crystals or crusts. It is famous for its association with the Tsumeb mine in Namibia, where it forms delicate, sometimes colorful crusts on other secondary minerals.
Is this otavite?
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 otavite with a known reference. Otavite sits at Mohs 3.5-4, 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: vitreous to adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, yellow brown, reddish, reddish white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: encrustations, euhedral crystals.
Often confused with
Otavite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside otavite
Minerals reported to co-occur with otavite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CdCO₃
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4
- Density
- 4.96 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous to adamantine
- Transparency
- Semitransparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Encrustations, euhedral crystals
- Cleavage
- On {1011}
- Fluorescence
- Red under SW and LW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A rare secondary mineral in the oxidized zone of hydrothermal base-metal deposits
Where rockhounds find otavite
Classic worldwide localities
- Blanchard mine, near Bingham, Hansonburg district, Socorro Co., New Mexico, USA
- Franklin, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA
- Tsumeb, Namibia
- Found in the Bilyakchan fracture system, southern Verkhoyan’ya, in the Orenburg district, Southern Ural Mountains, and at Beresovsk, near Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk), Middle Ural Mountains, Russia
- Montevecchio Pb–Zn mine, Sardinia, Italy
- Laurium, Greece
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A rare secondary mineral in the oxidized zone of hydrothermal base-metal deposits. If you start seeing smithsonite, cerussite, hydrozincite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: encrustations, euhedral crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify otavite?+
Where is otavite found?+
Is otavite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like otavite?+
What minerals are found with otavite?+
What kind of rock does otavite form in?+
What is otavite used for?+
Find otavite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
