Piypite is a rare potassium copper sulfate mineral first described from the fumaroles of the Tolbachik volcano in Russia. It typically appears as bright yellow to yellow-green encrustations or delicate crystalline aggregates formed by volcanic gases.
Is this piypite?
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 piypite with a known reference. Piypite 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: yellowish green.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous to greasy.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: dark green, emerald green, black, black green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: acicular, aggregates, mossy.
Often confused with
Piypite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside piypite
Minerals reported to co-occur with piypite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- K₄Cu₄O₂(SO₄)₄·(Na,Cu)Cl
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5
- Density
- 3.0-3.10 g/cm³
- Streak
- Yellowish green
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Acicular, aggregates, mossy
- Cleavage
- Perfect, parallel to elongation
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A rare fumarolic sublimate, formed above 500°C
Where rockhounds find piypite
Classic worldwide localities
- Tolbachik fissure volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
- Vesuvius, Campania, Italy
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A rare fumarolic sublimate, formed above 500°C. If you start seeing halite, sylvite, langbeinite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: acicular, aggregates, mossy. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify piypite?+
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What rocks look like piypite?+
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Find piypite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
