Tschaunerite is an extremely rare iron-chromium-titanium oxide mineral discovered within the shock-melt veins of the Suizhou meteorite. It is a high-pressure spinel-group mineral that forms through the solid-state reaction of chromite and ilmenite under extreme impact conditions.
Is this tschaunerite?
4-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 tschaunerite with a known reference. Tschaunerite sits at Mohs 8, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 3Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black.
- 4Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: anhedral grains.
Often confused with
Tschaunerite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside tschaunerite
Minerals reported to co-occur with tschaunerite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (Fe)(FeTi)O₄
- Mohs hardness
- 8
- Density
- 4.82 g/cm³
- Colors
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Anhedral grains
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In the kernel of a transformed ulvospinel-imenite grain trapped in a shock melt pocket in Martian meteorites
Where rockhounds find tschaunerite
Classic worldwide localities
- Suizhou meteorite, Hubei, China
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In the kernel of a transformed ulvospinel-imenite grain trapped in a shock melt pocket in Martian meteorites. If you start seeing chromite, kamacite, troilite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: anhedral grains. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify tschaunerite?+
Where is tschaunerite found?+
What rocks look like tschaunerite?+
What minerals are found with tschaunerite?+
What kind of rock does tschaunerite form in?+
What is tschaunerite used for?+
Find tschaunerite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
