Blatterite is an uncommon manganese-antimony oxide mineral that primarily appears as dark, metallic-looking tabular crystals. It is most famously associated with the skarn deposits of the Långban mining district in Sweden, where it formed under high-grade metamorphic conditions.
Is this blatterite?
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 blatterite with a known reference. Blatterite sits at Mohs ~6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: brown.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic to submetallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: prismatic.
Often confused with
Blatterite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Blatterite leaves brown, Braunite leaves brownish black to steel-gray; luster reads metallic to submetallic on Blatterite and submetallic on Braunite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Blatterite leaves brown, Hausmannite leaves dark reddish brown; luster reads metallic to submetallic on Blatterite and submetallic on Hausmannite.
Often found alongside blatterite
Minerals reported to co-occur with blatterite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Sb₃Mn₉Mn₃₅(BO₃)₁₆O₃₂
- Mohs hardness
- ~6
- Density
- 4.7 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Brown
- Luster
- Metallic to submetallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic
- Cleavage
- On {001}, perfect; on {100}, imperfect, a parting
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- From metamorphosed Fe–Mn orebodies
Where rockhounds find blatterite
Classic worldwide localities
- Kittel mine, Varmland, Sweden (type locality)
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: From metamorphosed Fe–Mn orebodies. If you start seeing manganosite, pyrochroite, hausmannite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: prismatic. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify blatterite?+
Where is blatterite found?+
Is blatterite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like blatterite?+
What minerals are found with blatterite?+
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Find blatterite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
