Lautite specimens for sale
2 for sale · $650–$2,000 USD
Lautite is a copper arsenic sulfide mineral that crystallizes in the orthorhombic system. It typically forms opaque, gray to black crystals with a metallic luster and a prismatic, granular, or massive habit. Its hardness is relatively soft, around 3 to 3.5 on the Mohs scale, and it has a high specific gravity near 4.9, reflecting its dense mineral composition. The streak is black, and its cleavage is indistinct, with an uneven fracture that can yield uneven surfaces on broken fragments.
- Formula
- CuAsS
- Rarity
- Rare
- Stability
- Stable
- Collector interest
- Moderate Interest
- Classification notes
- Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- orthorhombic
- Mohs hardness
- 3–3.5
- Specific gravity
- 4.9
- Luster
- metallic
- Transparency
- opaque
- Color
- gray, black
- Streak
- black
- Cleavage
- indistinct
- Fracture
- uneven
- Crystal habit
- prismatic, granular, massive
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About Lautite
Notable specimens of lauhite are sought from sulfide-rich ore environments where copper and arsenic-bearing fluids crystallize under high temperature and pressure conditions. Collectors prize its metallic sheen and the contrast between the dark body color and reflective surfaces, as well as the mineral’s rarity. While lauhite may be encountered in classic sulfide localities, its accessibility is limited by its rarity and the precise geologic conditions required for formation, making well-formed crystals or aesthetically concentrated masses a desirable addition to a collection.