Petzite is a rare silver-gold telluride that typically occurs as massive, granular aggregates in hydrothermal veins. It is most easily identified by its metallic luster and dark gray color, often found in association with other rare tellurides and native gold.
Is this petzite?
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 petzite with a known reference. Petzite sits at Mohs 2.5-3 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Petzite leaves a iron-black streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Petzite typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: steel-gray, iron-black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: massive, granular, or compact.
Often confused with
Petzite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside petzite
Minerals reported to co-occur with petzite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ag₃AuTe₂
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5-3
- Density
- 8.7-9.0 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Iron-black
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Massive, Granular, Or Compact
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Ore of Gold and Silver
- Host rock
- Epithermal Gold-bearing Quartz Veins
- Typical price
- $20-150 for small micro-mounts or specimens
Where rockhounds find petzite
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Transylvania, Romania
- Kalgoorlie, Australia
- Crippie Creek, USA
- Kirkland Lake, Canada
Field-hunting tip
Look in epithermal gold-bearing quartz veins country — that is the host setting where petzite typically forms. If you start seeing gold, pyrite, hessite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive, granular, or compact habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Wisconsin — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find petzite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
