Tsygankoite is an exceptionally rare thallium-manganese mercury sulfosalt discovered at the Vorontsovskoye gold deposit in the Urals. It typically occurs as microscopic grains within complex sulfide-rich hydrothermal mineral assemblages and is prized primarily by advanced mineral species collectors.
Is this tsygankoite?
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 tsygankoite with a known reference. Tsygankoite sits at Mohs ~3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: black.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: anhedral grains, inclusions.
Often confused with
Tsygankoite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside tsygankoite
Minerals reported to co-occur with tsygankoite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mn₈Tl₈Hg₂(Sb₂₁Pb₂Tl)S₄₈
- Mohs hardness
- ~3
- Density
- 5.450 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Black
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Anhedral grains, inclusions
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In mineralized limestone breccias (calcite-dolomite, up to 85% of volume) in the ores of the sulfide-carbonate type in a gold deposit of uncertain origin
Where rockhounds find tsygankoite
Classic worldwide localities
- Vorontsovskoe gold deposit, 0.5 km west of Vorontsovka, 13 km south of Krasnotur’insk, Sverdlovskaya Oblast’, Northern Urals, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In mineralized limestone breccias (calcite-dolomite, up to 85% of volume) in the ores of the sulfide-carbonate type in a gold deposit of uncertain origin. If you start seeing aktashite, arsenopyrite, barite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: anhedral grains, inclusions. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify tsygankoite?+
Where is tsygankoite found?+
Is tsygankoite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like tsygankoite?+
What minerals are found with tsygankoite?+
What kind of rock does tsygankoite form in?+
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Find tsygankoite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
