Plattnerite is a heavy lead oxide mineral typically found in the oxidized zones of lead-rich hydrothermal veins. It often appears as dark, submetallic, needle-like or prismatic crystals, though it can also occur as massive crusts.
Is this plattnerite?
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 plattnerite with a known reference. Plattnerite sits at Mohs 5.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: chestnut-brown.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: bright metallic to adamantine; tarnishing dull on exposure.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black, brownish black, iron black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: encrustations, massive.
Often confused with
Plattnerite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Plattnerite leaves chestnut-brown, Pyrolusite leaves black, bluish black; luster reads bright metallic to adamantine; tarnishing dull on exposure on Plattnerite and metallic on Pyrolusite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Plattnerite leaves chestnut-brown, Goethite leaves brownish yellow, yellow-orange, ocher-yellow; luster reads bright metallic to adamantine; tarnishing dull on exposure on Plattnerite and imperfect adamantine metallic to dull earthy; silky when fibrous on Goethite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Plattnerite leaves chestnut-brown, Rutile leaves pale brown, yellowish brown; gray, greenish black with high nb–ta; luster reads bright metallic to adamantine; tarnishing dull on exposure on Plattnerite and adamantine to submetallic on Rutile.
Often found alongside plattnerite
Minerals reported to co-occur with plattnerite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- PbO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5
- Density
- 9.564 g/cm³
- Streak
- Chestnut-brown
- Luster
- Bright metallic to adamantine; tarnishing dull on exposure
- Transparency
- Opaque to slightly translucent
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Encrustations, massive
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In weathered hydrothermal base-metal deposits, oxidized typically in arid climates
Where rockhounds find plattnerite
Classic worldwide localities
- Coeur d’Alene district, Shoshone Co., and in the Democrat mine, Gilmore district, Lemhi Co., Idaho, USA
- Goodsprings district, Clark Co., and the Diamond mine, near Eureka, Eureka Co., Nevada, USA
- Mex-Tex mine, near Bingham, Hansonburg district, Socorro Co., and Granite Gap, San Simon district, Hidalgo Co., New Mexico, USA
- Leadhills, Lanarkshire, and Wanlockhead, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
- Tchah Milleh mine, near Anarak, and the Dareh Zandjir mine, near Anjireh, Iran
- Tsumeb, Namibia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In weathered hydrothermal base-metal deposits, oxidized typically in arid climates. If you start seeing cerussite, smithsonite, hemimorphite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: encrustations, massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify plattnerite?+
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Is plattnerite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like plattnerite?+
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Find plattnerite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
