Pyromorphite is a highly sought-after secondary mineral found in the oxidation zones of lead ore deposits. It is best known by collectors for its vibrant, barrel-shaped hexagonal prisms and its signature waxy or resinous luster, appearing most often in shades of bright apple-green to yellow-orange.
Is this pyromorphite?
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 pyromorphite with a known reference. Pyromorphite 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. Pyromorphite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Pyromorphite typically shows a resinous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: green, yellow, brown, orange, gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: hexagonal prisms, barrel-shaped crystals, crusts, botryoidal.
Often confused with
Pyromorphite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Luster reads resinous on Pyromorphite and adamantine on Mimetite.
How to tell apart: Apatite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5 vs. 3.5-4); luster reads resinous on Pyromorphite and vitreous on Apatite.
Often found alongside pyromorphite
Minerals reported to co-occur with pyromorphite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Pb₅(PO₄)₃Cl
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4
- Density
- 6.5-7.1 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Resinous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Hexagonal Prisms, Barrel-shaped Crystals, Crusts, Botryoidal
- Cleavage
- Indistinct
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector, Ore of Lead
- Host rock
- Oxidized Zones of Lead Deposits
- Typical price
- $20-100 for thumbnails, $200-2000+ for display cabinet specimens
Where rockhounds find pyromorphite
7 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Bad Ems, Germany
- Daoping, China
- Broken Hill, Australia
- Coeur d'Alene, USA
- Les Farges, France
Field-hunting tip
Look in oxidized zones of lead deposits country — that is the host setting where pyromorphite typically forms. If you start seeing galena, cerussite, wulfenite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a hexagonal prisms, barrel-shaped crystals, crusts, botryoidal habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Montana, Connecticut, Kentucky — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find pyromorphite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
