Boscardinite is a rare lead-antimony sulfosalt mineral primarily identified from the Apuan Alps of Italy. It typically occurs as small, gray metallic tabular crystals often found associated with other lead-bearing sulfides in metamorphic hydrothermal environments.
Is this boscardinite?
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 boscardinite with a known reference. Boscardinite sits at Mohs 3-3.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: black.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: tabular crystals, massive.
Often confused with
Boscardinite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Boscardinite leaves black, Boulangerite leaves brownish.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Boscardinite leaves black, Jamesonite leaves black. grayish.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Boscardinite leaves black, Plagionite leaves blackish lead-gray, deep red-brown.
Often found alongside boscardinite
Minerals reported to co-occur with boscardinite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- TlPb₄(Sb₇As₂)S₁₈
- Mohs hardness
- 3-3.5
- Density
- 5.355 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Black
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular crystals, massive
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In a quartz vein cutting dolostone, associated with a barite-pyrite-iron oxide deposit in regionally metamorphosed rocks
Where rockhounds find boscardinite
Classic worldwide localities
- Apuan Alps, Italy
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In a quartz vein cutting dolostone, associated with a barite-pyrite-iron oxide deposit in regionally metamorphosed rocks. If you start seeing zinkenite, dolomite, stibnite and smithite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: tabular crystals, massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify boscardinite?+
Where is boscardinite found?+
Is boscardinite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like boscardinite?+
What minerals are found with boscardinite?+
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Find boscardinite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
