Bluebellite is a rare copper iodate that forms bright bluish green curved flattened plates. Associated minerals include murdochite, calcite and fluorite. It was first described from the D shaft, central Mojave Desert, California, USA.
Is this bluebellite?
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 bluebellite with a known reference. Bluebellite sits at Mohs ~1, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: pale bluish green.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: bright bluish green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: curved flattened plates.
Often confused with
Bluebellite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Dugganite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3 vs. ~1); streak differs, so Bluebellite leaves pale bluish green, Dugganite leaves white.
How to tell apart: Teineite is the harder of the two (Mohs 2.5 vs. ~1); luster reads adamantine on Bluebellite and vitreous on Teineite.
Often found alongside bluebellite
Minerals reported to co-occur with bluebellite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Cu₆(IO₃)(OH)₁₀Cl
- Mohs hardness
- ~1
- Density
- 4.746 g/cm³
- Colors
- Bright bluish green
- Streak
- Pale bluish green
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Curved flattened plates
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {0001}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- A secondary copper mineral formed by decomposition of hessite and chalcopyrite under mildly acidic conditions
Where rockhounds find bluebellite
Classic worldwide localities
- D shaft, Blue Bell claims, Soda Mountains, 11 km west of Baker, San Bernardino County, central Mojave Desert, California, USA
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A secondary copper mineral formed by decomposition of hessite and chalcopyrite under mildly acidic conditions. If you start seeing murdochite, calcite, fluorite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: curved flattened plates. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify bluebellite?+
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Find bluebellite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
