Native manganese is an extremely rare metallic mineral that oxidizes rapidly when exposed to air. It is typically found as inclusions or in association with manganese oxides, appearing as a dull, silvery-grey to black metallic substance. Collectors rarely find it in pure form, and it is usually preserved in sealed containers to prevent degradation.
Is this manganese?
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 manganese with a known reference. Manganese sits at Mohs 2, 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: silvery-gray, iron-black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: massive, granular, or botryoidal.
Often confused with
Manganese vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Manganite is the harder of the two (Mohs 4 vs. 2); streak differs, so Manganese leaves black, Manganite leaves reddish brown to nearly black; luster reads metallic on Manganese and submetallic on Manganite.
How to tell apart: Psilomelane is the harder of the two (Mohs 5-6 vs. 2); streak differs, so Manganese leaves black, Psilomelane leaves brownish black; luster reads metallic on Manganese and submetallic on Psilomelane.
Often found alongside manganese
Minerals reported to co-occur with manganese. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mn
- Mohs hardness
- 2
- Density
- 7.2-7.4 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Black
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Massive, granular, or botryoidal
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Scientific, Collector
- Host rock
- hydrothermal veins, manganese deposits
Where rockhounds find manganese
19 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Kuznetsk Alatau, Russia
- Yakutia, Russia
- Khibiny Massif, Russia
U.S. states with manganese
Each link opens a state-specific list of mapped rockhounding spots that produce manganese.
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: hydrothermal veins, manganese deposits. If you start seeing pyrolusite, manganite, hausmannite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: massive, granular, or botryoidal. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Nevada, North Carolina, Minnesota. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find manganese on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
