Alabandite is a rare manganese sulfide mineral that typically occurs as massive, granular, or rarely cubic crystals. It is easily identified by its characteristic brown streak and association with other manganese-rich minerals in hydrothermal or metamorphic environments.
Is this albandite?
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 albandite with a known reference. Albandite sits at Mohs 3.5-4 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Albandite leaves a brown streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Albandite typically shows a submetallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black, brownish-black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: granular, massive.
Often confused with
Albandite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Albandite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. 2.5); streak differs — Albandite leaves brown, Galena leaves lead-gray; luster reads submetallic on Albandite and metallic on Galena.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Albandite leaves brown, Sphalerite leaves white to yellow-brown; luster reads submetallic on Albandite and resinous to submetallic on Sphalerite.
Often found alongside albandite
Minerals reported to co-occur with albandite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- MnS
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5-4
- Density
- 4.05 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Brown
- Luster
- Submetallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Granular, Massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect On {100}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins, Contact Metamorphic Deposits
- Typical price
- $20-150 per specimen
Where rockhounds find albandite
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Alabanda, Turkey
- Franklin, New Jersey, USA
- Kawazul, Japan
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins, contact metamorphic deposits country — that is the host setting where albandite typically forms. If you start seeing rhodochrosite, willemite, franklinite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a granular, massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in California — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find albandite on the map
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