Schuetteite is a rare mercury sulfate mineral that typically forms as a secondary encrustation on other mercury minerals. It is highly characteristic of mercury mining districts where it appears as a bright yellow, earthy, or powdery coating. Due to its mercury content, it must be handled and stored with appropriate safety protocols for toxic specimens.
Is this schuetteite?
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 schuetteite with a known reference. Schuetteite sits at Mohs ~3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: yellow.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: dull.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: bright canary yellow, yellow, orange.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: encrustations, thin.
Often confused with
Schuetteite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Schuetteite leaves yellow, Cinnabar leaves scarlet; luster reads dull on Schuetteite and adamantine, inclining to metallic when dark; dull in friable material on Cinnabar.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Schuetteite leaves yellow, Terlinguaite leaves lemon-yellow, turning olive-green; luster reads dull on Schuetteite and brilliant adamantine on Terlinguaite.
Often found alongside schuetteite
Minerals reported to co-occur with schuetteite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Hg₃O₂(SO₄)
- Mohs hardness
- ~3
- Density
- 8.18 g/cm³
- Streak
- Yellow
- Luster
- Dull
- Transparency
- Semitransparent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Encrustations, thin
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A recently formed secondary mineral in opalite [chalcedonic] mercury deposits, typically formed on cinnabar exposed to sunlight
Where rockhounds find schuetteite
Classic worldwide localities
- Terlingua, Texas, USA
- Almadén, Spain
- Idrija, Slovenia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A recently formed secondary mineral in opalite [chalcedonic] mercury deposits, typically formed on cinnabar exposed to sunlight. If you start seeing cinnabar in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: encrustations, thin. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify schuetteite?+
Where is schuetteite found?+
Is schuetteite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like schuetteite?+
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Find schuetteite on the map
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