Wickenburgite is a rare lead-calcium silicate mineral primarily found in oxidized ore zones. It typically occurs as delicate, colorless to white pearly plates associated with other secondary lead minerals in mine dumps.
Is this wickenburgite?
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 wickenburgite with a known reference. Wickenburgite sits at Mohs 5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, white, pink.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: platy crystals.
Often confused with
Wickenburgite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Wickenburgite is noticeably harder (Mohs 5 vs. 3).
How to tell apart: Wickenburgite is noticeably harder (Mohs 5 vs. 3-3.5); luster reads vitreous on Wickenburgite and adamantine, tending toward vitreous, resinous on Cerussite.
Often found alongside wickenburgite
Minerals reported to co-occur with wickenburgite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Pb₃CaAl₂Si₁₀O₂₇·4H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 5
- Density
- 3.85 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Platy crystals
- Cleavage
- {0001}, indistinct
- Fluorescence
- Dull orange under SW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In oxidized hydrothermal veins, carrying galena and sphalerite, in quartz and fluorite gangue (near Wickenburg, Arizona, USA)
Where rockhounds find wickenburgite
Classic worldwide localities
- Near Wichenburg, Maricopa County, Arizona (type locality)
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In oxidized hydrothermal veins, carrying galena and sphalerite, in quartz and fluorite gangue (near Wickenburg, Arizona, USA). If you start seeing phoenicochroite, mimetite, cerussite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: platy crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify wickenburgite?+
Where is wickenburgite found?+
Is wickenburgite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like wickenburgite?+
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Find wickenburgite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
