Tululite is a rare copper-silver telluride chloride mineral first discovered in the Tucson Mountains of Arizona. It typically occurs as small, dull brownish-yellow grains associated with other secondary tellurium minerals in oxidized hydrothermal zones.
Is this tululite?
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 tululite with a known reference. Tululite sits at Mohs 3.5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Tululite leaves a yellow streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Tululite typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow, brownish-yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: granular to massive.
Often confused with
Tululite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Tululite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3.5 vs. 2); streak differs — Tululite leaves yellow, Tellurite leaves white; luster reads metallic on Tululite and adamantine on Tellurite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Tululite leaves yellow, Gold leaves golden yellow.
Often found alongside tululite
Minerals reported to co-occur with tululite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Cu₆Ag₂TeO₄Cl₆
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5
- Density
- 9.5 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Yellow
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Granular to Massive
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Oxidized Telluride-bearing Hydrothermal Veins
- Typical price
- $50-500 depending on specimen size and matrix
Where rockhounds find tululite
Classic worldwide localities
- Tucson Mountains, Arizona, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in oxidized telluride-bearing hydrothermal veins country — that is the host setting where tululite typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, hematite, emmonsite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a granular to massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify tululite?+
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Find tululite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
