Shakhovite is an extremely rare mercury-antimony oxyhydroxide mineral typically found as small, yellow, tabular crystals. It is primarily known from the Khaidarkan deposit in Kyrgyzstan where it occurs in association with primary mercury ores like cinnabar.
Is this shakhovite?
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 shakhovite with a known reference. Shakhovite sits at Mohs 3-3.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: yellowish white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: green, olive green, yellowish green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: platy.
Often confused with
Shakhovite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Shakhovite leaves yellowish white, Eglestonite leaves yellow or greenish yellow, rapidly becoming black; luster reads adamantine on Shakhovite and brilliant adamantine to resinous on Eglestonite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Shakhovite leaves yellowish white, Kleinite leaves sulfur-yellow.
Often found alongside shakhovite
Minerals reported to co-occur with shakhovite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Hg₄SbO₃(OH)₃
- Mohs hardness
- 3-3.5
- Density
- 8.34-8.51 g/cm³
- Streak
- Yellowish white
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Transparency
- Semitransparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Platy
- Cleavage
- In two directions, parallel elongation
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A late-stage secondary mineral in the oxidation zone of cinnabar-stibnite ore (Kelyana mine, Russia); in the oxidation zone of cinnabar-livingstonite ore (Khaydarkan, Kyrgyzstan)
Where rockhounds find shakhovite
Classic worldwide localities
- Kelyana Sb–Hg mine, North Muya Mountains, Buryatia, Transbaikal, Siberia, Russia
- Khaydarkan deposit, Fergana Valley, Alai Range, south Kyrgyzstan
- Landsberg, near Obermoschel, and Stahlberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A late-stage secondary mineral in the oxidation zone of cinnabar-stibnite ore (Kelyana mine, Russia); in the oxidation zone of cinnabar-livingstonite ore (Khaydarkan, Kyrgyzstan). If you start seeing calomel, eglestonite, mercury in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: platy. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find shakhovite on the map
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