How do I identify Altaite?

Altaite can be identified by its hardness of 2 - 3 on the Mohs scale, Tin-white with a light yellow tint; yellow-brown color. Look for these key characteristics when examining specimens.

What color is Altaite?

Altaite typically appears in Tin-white with a light yellow tint; yellow-brown, blue (tarnished). Color can vary depending on impurities and formation conditions.

Altaite has a hardness of 2 - 3 on the Mohs scale. This makes it a soft mineral that can be scratched easily.

How to Identify Altaite | Properties, Meaning & Uses

What is Altaite?

Altaite, or lead telluride, is a yellowish white mineral with an isometric crystal structure. Altaite is in the galena group of minerals as it shares many of properties of galena. Altaite has an unusually high density for a light-colored mineral. Altaite and other rare tellurides are classified in the sulfide mineral class (Dana classification). Altaite was discovered in 1845 in the Altai Mountains. Besides these mountains altaite can also be found in Zyryanovsk, Kazakhstan; the Ritchie Creek Deposit in Price County, Wisconsin; the Koch-Bulak gold deposit in Kazakhstan; Moctezuma, Mexico; and Coquimbo, Chile among other locations.

Altaite Market Value Calculator

Estimate the market value of Altaite using size, quality, and finish. This preview calculator is for quick context and is not a formal appraisal.

Altaite Localities Map

See where Altaite is found with a localities map, collecting zones, and geology context. Generate a sample map preview below.