Hughesite is a rare hydrated sodium aluminum vanadate mineral that typically forms as small, bright yellow to greenish-orange to golden orange prismatic crystals. It is primarily found in the oxidized zones of vanadium-rich sandstone deposits, often occurring as crusts or tiny groupings within mine workings in the Colorado Plateau.
Is this hughesite?
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 hughesite with a known reference. Hughesite 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. Hughesite leaves a yellow streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Hughesite typically shows a subadamantine luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: orange, golden orange.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: prismatic to acicular crystals.
Often confused with
Hughesite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Pascoite is the harder of the two (Mohs 2 vs. 1); luster reads subadamantine on Hughesite and vitreous on Pascoite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Hughesite leaves yellow, Hewettite leaves brownish red; luster reads subadamantine on Hughesite and silky to adamantine on Hewettite.
Often found alongside hughesite
Minerals reported to co-occur with hughesite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Na₃Al₃(V₁₀O₂₈)·28H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 1
- Density
- 2.42 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Yellow
- Luster
- Subadamantine
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic to Acicular Crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect in One Direction
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Vanadium-uranium Sandstone Deposits
Where rockhounds find hughesite
Classic worldwide localities
- Burro Mine, Colorado, USA
- Hummer Mine, Colorado, USA
- Jo Dandy Mine, Colorado, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in vanadium-uranium sandstone deposits country, the host setting where hughesite typically forms. If you start seeing pascoite, hewettite, rossite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic to acicular crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify hughesite?+
Where is hughesite found?+
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What rocks look like hughesite?+
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Find hughesite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
