Rickardite is a rare copper telluride mineral known for its distinctive and vibrant purplish-red color when freshly broken, though it quickly tarnishes to a darker color upon exposure to air. It is typically found in massive forms within hydrothermal veins associated with other telluride minerals.
Is this rickardite?
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 rickardite with a known reference. Rickardite sits at Mohs 2 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Rickardite leaves a black streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Rickardite typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: purple, reddish-purple.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: massive, granular, or thin crusts.
Often confused with
Rickardite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside rickardite
Minerals reported to co-occur with rickardite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Cu₄₋ₓTe₂
- Mohs hardness
- 2
- Density
- 7.54 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Black
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Massive, Granular, Or Thin Crusts
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Gold-telluride Deposits
- Typical price
- $20-200 depending on specimen size and purity
Where rockhounds find rickardite
Classic worldwide localities
- Good Hope Mine, Colorado, USA
- Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico
- Glava, Värmland, Sweden
- Tanco Mine, Manitoba, Canada
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal gold-telluride deposits country — that is the host setting where rickardite typically forms. If you start seeing tellurium, altaite, coloradoite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive, granular, or thin crusts habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify rickardite?+
Where is rickardite found?+
How much is rickardite worth?+
Is rickardite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like rickardite?+
What minerals are found with rickardite?+
What kind of rock does rickardite form in?+
What is rickardite used for?+
Find rickardite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
