Wairauite is a rare cobalt-iron alloy found primarily in serpentinized ultramafic rocks. It typically occurs as small metallic grains and is often identified through micro-analysis due to its visual similarity to other native iron-nickel minerals.
Is this wairauite?
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 wairauite with a known reference. Wairauite sits at Mohs 4 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Wairauite leaves a black streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Wairauite typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, silver-white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: grains.
Often confused with
Wairauite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Taenite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5-5.5 vs. 4); streak differs — Wairauite leaves black, Taenite leaves gray.
How to tell apart: Awaruite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5 vs. 4); streak differs — Wairauite leaves black, Awaruite leaves gray.
Often found alongside wairauite
Minerals reported to co-occur with wairauite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CoFe
- Mohs hardness
- 4
- Density
- 7.98 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Black
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Grains
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Ultramafic Rocks and Serpentinized Peridotites
- Typical price
- $50-300 per specimen
Where rockhounds find wairauite
Classic worldwide localities
- Wairau Valley, New Zealand
- Piaotang mine, China
- Kozakov, Czech Republic
Field-hunting tip
Look in ultramafic rocks and serpentinized peridotites country — that is the host setting where wairauite typically forms. If you start seeing serpentine, magnetite, chromite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a grains habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find wairauite on the map
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