Parawulffite is a rare volcanic fumarole mineral discovered at the Tolbachik volcano in Russia. It typically appears as attractive dark green to deep emerald green tabular crystals associated with other copper-bearing volcanic minerals.
Is this parawulffite?
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 parawulffite with a known reference. Parawulffite sits at Mohs 2.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: light green.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: dark green, deep emerald green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, subparallel aggregates.
Often confused with
Parawulffite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside parawulffite
Minerals reported to co-occur with parawulffite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- K₅Na₃Cu₈(SO₄)₈O₄
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5
- Density
- 3.35 g/cm³
- Colors
- Dark greenDeep emerald green
- Streak
- Light green
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular crystals, subparallel aggregates
- Cleavage
- Perfect, 1 direction || to elongation and a second || (010)
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- As sublimates at a fumarole as incrustations on the surface of basalt scoria or on tenorite or aphthitalite crusts
Where rockhounds find parawulffite
Classic worldwide localities
- Yadovitaya fumarole, Second scoria cone of the Northern Breakthrough of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: As sublimates at a fumarole as incrustations on the surface of basalt scoria or on tenorite or aphthitalite crusts. If you start seeing euchlorine, fedotovite, tenorite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular crystals, subparallel aggregates. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify parawulffite?+
Where is parawulffite found?+
Is parawulffite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like parawulffite?+
What minerals are found with parawulffite?+
What kind of rock does parawulffite form in?+
What is parawulffite used for?+
Find parawulffite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
