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 — that is 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.