Verbeekite is an extremely rare palladium selenide mineral that typically forms small, opaque, black platy crystals. It is primarily known from the Musonoi mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, often found in association with other rare selenium minerals.
Is this verbeekite?
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 verbeekite with a known reference. Verbeekite sits at Mohs 5.5, 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: monoclinic. Typical habit: anhedral grains.
Often confused with
Verbeekite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside verbeekite
Minerals reported to co-occur with verbeekite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- PdSe₂
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5
- Density
- 7.3 g/cm³
- Colors
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Anhedral grains
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Se-rich sulfide lens
Where rockhounds find verbeekite
Classic worldwide localities
- Musonoi mine, near Kolwezi, Shaba Province, Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) (type locality)
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Se-rich sulfide lens. If you start seeing driekopite, kiddcreekite, clausthalite 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 verbeekite?+
Where is verbeekite found?+
Is verbeekite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like verbeekite?+
What minerals are found with verbeekite?+
What kind of rock does verbeekite form in?+
What is verbeekite used for?+
Find verbeekite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
