Tazheranite is a rare calcium-titanium-bearing zirconium oxide found primarily in contact metamorphic skarns. It typically occurs as small, translucent to opaque crystals or massive grains within carbonate-rich rocks.

Hardness

6.5

Mohs

Luster

Subadamantine

Streak

White

Transparency

Translucent

mineralrareBaddeleyite Group family

Tazheranite

Hardness: 6.5
Luster: Subadamantine
Streak: White
Transparency: Translucent

Is this tazheranite?

5-step field check

Run through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.

1
Test the hardness
Try to scratch tazheranite with a known reference. Tazheranite sits at Mohs 6.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
2
Check the streak
Drag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Tazheranite leaves a white streak.
3
Read the luster
Hold the specimen under a strong light. Tazheranite typically shows a subadamantine luster.
4
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: yellow, white, colorless, brown.
5
Look at form & habit
Crystal system: cubic. Typical habit: equant crystals, grains.

Often confused with

Tazheranite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.

mineral

Baddeleyite

Mohs 6.5

How to tell apart: Luster reads subadamantine on Tazheranite and submetallic on Baddeleyite.

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Often found alongside tazheranite

Minerals reported to co-occur with tazheranite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.

All properties

Chemical formula: (Zr,Ca,Ti)O₂
Mohs hardness: 6.5
Density: 5.3-5.5 g/cm³
Colors: Yellow White Colorless Brown
Streak: White
Luster: Subadamantine
Transparency: Translucent
Crystal system: Cubic
Crystal habit: Equant Crystals, Grains
Cleavage: None
Rarity: Rare
Uses: Collector, Scientific Research
Host rock: Skarns, Contact Metamorphic Zones
Typical price: $50-500 depending on specimen quality

Where rockhounds find tazheranite

Classic worldwide localities

Tazheranskaya intrusion, Lake Baikal, Russia

Field-hunting tip

Look in skarns, contact metamorphic zones country, the host setting where tazheranite typically forms. If you start seeing gehlenite, spinel, diopside in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a equant crystals, grains habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.

Common questions

How do you identify tazheranite?+

Mohs hardness is 6.5. It typically shows a subadamantine luster. The streak is white. Common colors include yellow, white, colorless, brown.

Where is tazheranite found?+

Notable localities include Tazheranskaya intrusion, Lake Baikal, Russia.

How much is tazheranite worth?+

Typical asking prices fall in the range of $50-500 depending on specimen quality. Quality, size, and provenance can move individual specimens well outside that range.

What rocks look like tazheranite?+

Tazheranite is most often confused with Baddeleyite. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.

What minerals are found with tazheranite?+

Tazheranite commonly co-occurs with Gehlenite, Spinel, Diopside, Calcite. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does tazheranite form in?+

Tazheranite typically forms in skarns, contact metamorphic zones. Working float back to the host body is the standard way to chase a fresh occurrence.

What is tazheranite used for?+

Tazheranite is used in collector, scientific research.

Find tazheranite on the map

RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.