Slavkovite is a rare copper arsenate mineral found primarily in the historic Jachymov mining district. It typically appears as delicate, transparent to translucent white or pale blue tabular crystals or thin crusts in weathered arsenide deposits.
Is this slavkovite?
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 slavkovite with a known reference. Slavkovite 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. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless with a green tint, pale green, blue-green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, crusts.
Often confused with
Slavkovite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Slavkovite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. 2.5); streak differs, so Slavkovite leaves white, Pharmacosiderite leaves yellowish green; luster reads vitreous on Slavkovite and adamantine to greasy on Pharmacosiderite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Slavkovite leaves white, Scorodite leaves greenish white.
Often found alongside slavkovite
Minerals reported to co-occur with slavkovite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Cu₁₃(AsO₄)₆(AsO₃OH)₄(H₂O)₁₆·7H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4
- Density
- 3.05 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular crystals, crusts
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {011}; good on {010}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A secondary mineral formed during the weathering of primary tennantite and chalcopyrite in a complex polymetallic hydrothermal vein deposit
Where rockhounds find slavkovite
Classic worldwide localities
- Huber open pit, Krásno district, near Horní Slavkov, Slavkovský Les Mountains and from the Geschieber vein, Daniel level, Svornost mine, Jáchymov district, Krušné hory Mountains, Czech Republic
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A secondary mineral formed during the weathering of primary tennantite and chalcopyrite in a complex polymetallic hydrothermal vein deposit. If you start seeing lavendulan, geminite, lindackerite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular crystals, crusts. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify slavkovite?+
Where is slavkovite found?+
Is slavkovite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like slavkovite?+
What minerals are found with slavkovite?+
What kind of rock does slavkovite form in?+
What is slavkovite used for?+
Find slavkovite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
