Mineral
Linarite
PbCu(SO₄)(OH)₂Linarit
An azure-blue lead–copper mineral mistaken for azurite: it gives itself away by not fizzing in acid.
- Popularly: Common stone
In short
Linarite is a mineral made of lead, copper, sulfate, oxygen and hydrogen (PbCu(SO₄)(OH)₂). It forms bright to dark azure-blue, elongated or tabular crystals. It is an uncommon secondary mineral that forms in the parts of lead–copper deposits exposed to air. Because of its colour it is often mistaken for azurite. It was described in 1822 and named after the Linares area of Spain.
Photos
.jpg){kind=link}
How does it form?
Linarite is an uncommon secondary mineral that forms in the oxidised zone of lead–copper deposits, the part near the surface exposed to air and water. When lead minerals such as galena and copper minerals break down together, lead, copper and sulfate combine. That is why it occurs with brochantite, anglesite, caledonite, leadhillite, cerussite, malachite and hemimorphite.
According to the Handbook of Mineralogy, linarite occurs in small amounts at many localities. Linares in Spain, Sardinia in Italy, the Red Gill mine at Caldbeck Fells in England (fine crystals), Leadhills in Scotland, the Kisamori mine in Japan (large crystals), Broken Hill in Australia, and the Mammoth-St. Anthony and Grand Reef mines in Arizona and the Blanchard mine in New Mexico, USA, are among its known localities.
What is it used for?
- Collecting: Its vivid blue crystals are sought by collectors.
- A lesson in identification: Its confusion with azurite is a good example of why the acid test matters in identifying minerals.
What determines its value?
Linarite is an uncommon collector's mineral. Collectors look for vivid azure-blue, lustrous, large crystals; specimens from Caldbeck Fells in England, the Blanchard and Mammoth mines in the USA and Kisamori in Japan are well known.
This information is educational, not buying, selling or investment advice. Value varies enormously with quality and treatment.
How to recognise it
- 1
Bright to dark azure blue; its streak is pale blue.
- 2
Its crystals are elongated or tabular; it often forms crusts or clusters.
- 3
Vitreous to adamantine lustre.
- 4
Very soft (Mohs 2.5) and heavy (specific gravity about 5.3).
- 5
It does not fizz in dilute hydrochloric acid; azurite does.
Fakes and imitations
What shops usually don’t tell you:
- Azurite looks very similar to linarite; azurite, however, is a carbonate and fizzes in dilute hydrochloric acid, while linarite does not. Linarite is also noticeably heavier.
Safety
Linarite contains lead. Lead builds up in the body and can permanently harm the brain and nervous system, especially in children; according to the World Health Organization, there is no level of lead exposure known to be without harmful effects. Do not put linarite in your mouth, grind or heat it, breathe its dust or put it in drinking water. Wash your hands after handling it and keep specimens out of reach of children.
Myths and misconceptions
MythEvery azure-blue copper mineral is azurite.
FactLinarite is also azure blue and is often taken for azurite. But linarite is a sulfate that also contains lead; it does not fizz in acid and is heavier than azurite.
Did you know?
Linarite is mistaken for azurite so often that collectors turn to an acid test: azurite fizzes, linarite does not.
The Kisamori mine in Japan and the Mammoth-St. Anthony mine in Arizona, USA, have produced large crystals.
Its crystals can grow up to 8 cm.
Where is it found?
Loading map…
- Linares, Jaén, Spain · Type localityLinarite was described in 1822 and named after the Linares area
- Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England · Known localityRed Gill and other mines yield fine crystals
- Leadhills, Lanarkshire, Scotland · Historic sourceScotland's old lead-mining district
- Blanchard mine, Bingham, New Mexico, USA · Known localityBright blue linarite crystals as thin plates on quartz (approximate coordinate)
Locations are approximate to protect sites. Red dots mark places in Türkiye. Open in the big map →
Frequently asked questions
What is linarite?
Linarite is a mineral made of lead, copper, sulfate, oxygen and hydrogen (PbCu(SO₄)(OH)₂). It forms bright to dark azure-blue, elongated or tabular crystals. It is an uncommon secondary mineral that forms in the parts of lead–copper deposits exposed to air. Because of its colour it is often mistaken for azurite. It was described in 1822 and named after the Linares area of Spain.
How can linarite be told apart from azurite?
Both are azure-blue copper minerals and can occur together. The easiest test is acid: azurite, a carbonate, fizzes in dilute hydrochloric acid, while linarite does not. Because it contains lead, linarite also feels noticeably heavier in the hand.
What is linarite used for?
Collecting: Its vivid blue crystals are sought by collectors. A lesson in identification: Its confusion with azurite is a good example of why the acid test matters in identifying minerals.
How hard is linarite?
It has a hardness of 2.5 on the Mohs scale. It is soft enough to scratch with a fingernail. Its specific gravity is 5.33–5.35 g/cm³.
Where is linarite found?
Its best-known localities: Linares, Jaén, Spain; Leadhills, Lanarkshire, Scotland; Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England; Blanchard mine, Bingham, New Mexico, USA.
How can you tell if linarite is real?
Bright to dark azure blue; its streak is pale blue. Its crystals are elongated or tabular; it often forms crusts or clusters. Vitreous to adamantine lustre. Azurite looks very similar to linarite; azurite, however, is a carbonate and fizzes in dilute hydrochloric acid, while linarite does not. Linarite is also noticeably heavier.
Is linarite valuable?
On the “street to diamond” value ladder it sits on step 3 of nine: Building and industrial stone. Linarite is an uncommon collector's mineral. Collectors look for vivid azure-blue, lustrous, large crystals; specimens from Caldbeck Fells in England, the Blanchard and Mammoth mines in the USA and Kisamori in Japan are well known.
Is linarite dangerous?
Linarite contains lead. Lead builds up in the body and can permanently harm the brain and nervous system, especially in children; according to the World Health Organization, there is no level of lead exposure known to be without harmful effects. Do not put linarite in your mouth, grind or heat it, breathe its dust or put it in drinking water. Wash your hands after handling it and keep specimens out of reach of children.
Sources
- Linarite · Wikipedia
- Handbook of Mineralogy: Linarite · Mineralogical Society of America
- Lead poisoning (fact sheet) · World Health Organization
External links
ReviewedLast checked: 4 October 2026
On the same step
Acanthite
Silver's black sulfide: one of the world's main silver ores and the mineral that coats tarnished native silver.
Adamite
Zinc arsenate in fan-shaped crystals from honey yellow to green: some specimens glow under ultraviolet light.
Albite
The white, sodium end of the feldspars: with its deposits at Çine–Milas, a glass and ceramics raw material that makes Türkiye one of the world’s main feldspar producers.