Lepageite is a rare manganese iron antimony oxide that forms brownish black crystals. It was approved as a distinct mineral species in 2018. It was first described from Szklary pegmatite, ~6 km north of Ząbkowice Śląskie, Lower Silesia, southwest Poland.
Is this lepageite?
4-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 lepageite with a known reference. Lepageite sits at Mohs 2, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 3Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brownish black.
- 4Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: crystals.
Often confused with
Lepageite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Hureaulite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5 vs. 2); luster reads metallic on Lepageite and vitreous, inclined towards greasy on Hureaulite.
How to tell apart: Phosphosiderite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. 2); luster reads metallic on Lepageite and vitreous to subresinous on Phosphosiderite.
Often found alongside lepageite
Minerals reported to co-occur with lepageite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mn²⁺₃(Fe³⁺₇Fe²⁺₄)O₃[Sb³⁺₅As³⁺₈O₃₄]
- Mohs hardness
- 2
- Density
- 5.192 g/cm³
- Colors
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Crystals
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- granite pegmatites
Where rockhounds find lepageite
Classic worldwide localities
- Szklary pegmatite, ~6 km north of Ząbkowice Śląskie, Lower Silesia, southwest Poland
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: granite pegmatites. If you start seeing mn-be-na-cs-bearing cordierite, schafarzikite, harmotome in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify lepageite?+
Where is lepageite found?+
Is lepageite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like lepageite?+
What minerals are found with lepageite?+
What kind of rock does lepageite form in?+
What is lepageite used for?+
Find lepageite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
