Identification guide · Minerals
How to Identify Cerussite
Cerussite is colorless, white, gray, or pale-tinted with an adamantine to sub-adamantine luster and a white streak, and its exceptional heaviness for a light-colored mineral is a strong field clue. Hardness is low, around 3 to 3.5, and it is brittle with distinct cleavage and a conchoidal fracture. Crystals often show intricate twinning that forms star-like or lattice-like reticulated groups. It can resemble anglesite or barite, but cerussite effervesces in dilute acid because of its carbonate content, which those minerals lack.
Cerussite identification checklist
| Color | Colorless, White, Gray, Blue (rare), Green (rare) | Look at a clean, dry surface in daylight. Color zoning, banding or spots are as diagnostic as the hue. |
|---|---|---|
| Luster | Adamantine to vitreous/resinous | Fresh surfaces shine like glass; a dull surface usually means weathering, so chip or wet a corner. |
| Transparency | Transparent to translucent | Hold a thin edge up to a bright light and note whether light passes through. |
| Mohs hardness | 3–3.5 | A copper coin (Mohs 3.5) scratches it, but a fingernail does not. |
| Streak | White | Drag a corner across unglazed porcelain (the back of a bathroom tile) and check the powder color. |
| Cleavage | Distinct on {110} and {021} | |
| Fracture | Conchoidal, brittle | Broken surfaces show smooth, curved, shell-like scoops. |
| Specific gravity | 6.5–6.6 | Very heavy, metallic heft (specific gravity about 6.55). |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
Extra tests for Cerussite
Acid test. Fizzes in vinegar or dilute hydrochloric acid because of its carbonate content.
Glass check. Cerussite shares a glassy luster and conchoidal fracture with man-made glass. Glass sits near Mohs 5.5 and often contains round gas bubbles, so a hardness test and a hand lens separate them.
Cerussite look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Both sit near Mohs 3–3.5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Cerussite vs Calcite →
Both sit near Mohs 3–3.5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Cerussite vs Anhydrite →
Both sit near Mohs 3–3.5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Cerussite vs Aragonite →
Both sit near Mohs 3–3.5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead.
Cerussite identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is Cerussite?
Check the color (colorless, white, gray, and blue (rare)), the adamantine to vitreous/resinous luster, a Mohs hardness of 3–3.5 and a white streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of Cerussite?
Cerussite has a Mohs hardness of 3–3.5. A copper coin (Mohs 3.5) scratches it, but a fingernail does not.
What is the difference between Cerussite and Calcite?
Cerussite (Mohs 3–3.5, adamantine to vitreous/resinous luster) and Calcite (Mohs 3, vitreous luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full Cerussite vs Calcite comparison for a side-by-side table.
Is Cerussite worth anything?
Entry-level Cerussite specimens sell for around $2, typical collector pieces about $20, and premium examples $150 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is Cerussite?
Cerussite is most often colorless, white, gray, and blue (rare). Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
