Yangite is a rare lead-manganese silicate mineral primarily found in the Yangsuo Mine in China. It typically forms delicate, needle-like acicular crystals or radiating fibrous tufts that are visually distinctive for their pale blue or white coloration.
Is this yangite?
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 yangite with a known reference. Yangite sits at Mohs ~5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: fibrous, acicular, radiating clusters.
Often confused with
Yangite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside yangite
Minerals reported to co-occur with yangite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- PbMnSi₃O₈·H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- ~5
- Density
- 4.14 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Fibrous, acicular, radiating clusters
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {101}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In rhodochrosite-bearing epithermal veins of a polymetallic sulfide deposit
Where rockhounds find yangite
Classic worldwide localities
- Kombat mine, Otavi Valley, Namibia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In rhodochrosite-bearing epithermal veins of a polymetallic sulfide deposit. If you start seeing melanotekite, rhodochrosite, helvite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: fibrous, acicular, radiating clusters. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find yangite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
