Bairdite is a very rare lead manganese tellurite mineral discovered at the Otto Mountain locality. It typically occurs as minute, thin tabular lime-green crystals within vugs of oxidized ore, often requiring magnification for proper identification.
Is this bairdite?
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 bairdite with a known reference. Bairdite sits at Mohs 3.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Bairdite leaves a pale lime-green streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Bairdite typically shows a adamantine luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: lime-green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals.
Often confused with
Bairdite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Bairdite leaves pale lime-green, Calcite leaves white; luster reads adamantine on Bairdite and vitreous on Calcite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Bairdite leaves pale lime-green, Mimetite leaves white; luster reads adamantine on Bairdite and resinous to subadamantine on Mimetite.
Often found alongside bairdite
Minerals reported to co-occur with bairdite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Pb₂Cu²⁺₄Te⁶⁺₂O₁₀(OH)₂(SO₄)·H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5
- Density
- 6.06 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Pale Lime-green
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular Crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect On {001}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Oxidized Tellurium-bearing Ore Veins
Where rockhounds find bairdite
Classic worldwide localities
- Otto Mountain, San Bernardino County, California, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in oxidized tellurium-bearing ore veins country, the host setting where bairdite typically forms. If you start seeing dugganite, quetzalcoatlite, teineite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a tabular crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify bairdite?+
Where is bairdite found?+
Is bairdite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like bairdite?+
What minerals are found with bairdite?+
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Find bairdite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
