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

7.5

Mohs

Luster

Adamantine to greasy on fractures

Streak

White

Transparency

Semitransparent

mineralrareBaddeleyite Group family

Tazheranite

Hardness: 7.5
Luster: Adamantine to greasy on fractures
Streak: White
Transparency: Semitransparent

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 7.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
2
Check the streak
Drag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
3
Read the luster
Hold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: adamantine to greasy on fractures.
4
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: yellow orange, cherry red, red, red orange.
5
Look at form & habit
Crystal system: cubic. Typical habit: tabular.

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: Tazheranite is noticeably harder (Mohs 7.5 vs. 6.5); luster reads adamantine to greasy on fractures on Tazheranite and greasy to vitreous; nearly submetallic in black crystals 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: 7.5
Density: 5.01 g/cm³
Colors: Yellow orangeCherry redRed Red orange
Streak: White
Luster: Adamantine to greasy on fractures
Transparency: Semitransparent
Crystal system: Cubic
Crystal habit: Tabular
Cleavage: None
Rarity: Rare
Uses: Collector, Scientific research
Host rock: In calciphyres banding periclase-brucite marble xenoliths in an alkalic massif (Tazheran massif, Russia)

Where rockhounds find tazheranite

Classic worldwide localities

Tazheran alkalic massif, west of Lake Baikal, eastern Siberia, Russia
Alnö Island, Sweden
Jacupiranga carbonatite, São Paulo, Brazil

Field-hunting tip

Where it forms: In calciphyres banding periclase-brucite marble xenoliths in an alkalic massif (Tazheran massif, Russia). If you start seeing spinel, forsterite, åkermanite-gehlenite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.

Common questions

How do you identify tazheranite?+

Mohs hardness is 7.5. Luster: adamantine to greasy on fractures. The streak is white. Common colors include yellow orange, cherry red, red, red orange.

Where is tazheranite found?+

Notable localities include Tazheran alkalic massif, west of Lake Baikal, eastern Siberia, Russia; Alnö Island, Sweden; Jacupiranga carbonatite, São Paulo, Brazil.

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 Spinel, Forsterite, Åkermanite-gehlenite, Clinohumite, Ludwigite, Azoproite. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does tazheranite form in?+

Where it forms: In calciphyres banding periclase-brucite marble xenoliths in an alkalic massif (Tazheran massif, Russia). 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.