Raberite is an extremely rare thallium-arsenic sulfosalt found primarily in the Allchar deposit of North Macedonia. It typically occurs as small black tabular crystals or in massive form, often associated with other rare thallium-bearing minerals.
Is this raberite?
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 raberite with a known reference. Raberite 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. Streak: dark brown-red.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, massive.
Often confused with
Raberite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Raberite leaves dark brown-red, Lorándite leaves cherry-red.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Raberite leaves dark brown-red, Smithite leaves vermilion; luster reads metallic on Raberite and adamantine on Smithite.
Often found alongside raberite
Minerals reported to co-occur with raberite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Tl₅Ag₄As₆SbS₁₅
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5-3
- Density
- 5.649 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Dark brown-red
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular crystals, massive
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In cavities in saccharoidal dolomitic marble
Where rockhounds find raberite
Classic worldwide localities
- Lengenbach quarry, Binn Valley, Valais, Switzerland
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In cavities in saccharoidal dolomitic marble. If you start seeing smithite, realgar, trechmannite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular crystals, massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify raberite?+
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Find raberite on the map
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