How do I identify Vulcanite?

Vulcanite can be identified by its hardness of 1 - 2 on the Mohs scale, Bronze-yellow color. Look for these key characteristics when examining specimens.

What color is Vulcanite?

Vulcanite typically appears in Bronze-yellow. Color can vary depending on impurities and formation conditions.

How hard is Vulcanite?

Vulcanite has a hardness of 1 - 2 on the Mohs scale. This makes it a soft mineral that can be scratched easily.

Vulcanite

A variety of Minerals

What is Vulcanite?

Vulcanite is a rare copper telluride mineral. The mineral has a metallic luster, and has a green or bronze-yellow tint. It has a hardness between 1 and 2 on the Mohs scale (between talc and gypsum). Its crystal structure is orthorhombic. Vulcanite is named for the place where it was discovered in 1961, the Mammoth Good Hope Mine in Vulcan (ghost town and district), Gunnison County, Colorado. Small deposits have also been discovered in Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Norway. It occurs with native tellurium, rickardite, petzite, and sylvanite.