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, so Wairauite leaves black, Taenite leaves gray.
How to tell apart: Awaruite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5 vs. 4); streak differs, so 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
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, 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
How do you identify wairauite?+
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What rocks look like wairauite?+
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Find wairauite on the map
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