Smirnite is a very rare tellurium oxide mineral typically occurring as thin, platy crystals in oxidized telluride ores. It is primarily found in the Kairagach deposit of Uzbekistan and is highly sought after by advanced mineral collectors due to its rarity and high density.
Is this smirnite?
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 smirnite with a known reference. Smirnite 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: adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, light gray, light yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: encrustations, tabular.
Often confused with
Smirnite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Smirnite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. 2); luster reads adamantine on Smirnite and subadamantine on Tellurite.
How to tell apart: Smirnite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. 1); luster reads adamantine on Smirnite and resinous to waxy on Paratellurite.
Often found alongside smirnite
Minerals reported to co-occur with smirnite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Bi³⁺₂Te⁴⁺O₅
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4
- Density
- 7.78 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Encrustations, tabular
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {001}; distinct in some other directions
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A secondary mineral in tellurium-bearing hydrothermal ore deposits
Where rockhounds find smirnite
Classic worldwide localities
- Zod gold deposit, 14 km east of Vardenis, Armenia
- Northern Aksu gold deposit, Kazakhstan
- Il’kovtsy, Vygorlat-Gutinsk Mountains, Transcarpathian region, western Ukraine
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A secondary mineral in tellurium-bearing hydrothermal ore deposits. If you start seeing tellurobismuthite, tetradymite, volynskite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: encrustations, tabular. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify smirnite?+
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Find smirnite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
