Native Antimony is a brittle, metallic element often found as massive or lamellar aggregates within hydrothermal deposits. It is easily identified by its distinct tin-white color and perfect cleavage, though it quickly tarnishes to a dull grey or black upon exposure to air.
Is this native antimony?
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 native antimony with a known reference. Native Antimony 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: gray.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: tin-white, silver-white, light gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: massive, reticulate.
Often confused with
Native Antimony vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Native Antimony is noticeably harder (Mohs 3-3.5 vs. 2); streak differs, so Native Antimony leaves gray, Stibnite leaves lead-gray.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Native Antimony leaves gray, Arsenic leaves tin-white; luster reads metallic on Native Antimony and nearly metallic on Arsenic.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Native Antimony leaves gray, Bismuth leaves pale silver.
Often found alongside native antimony
Minerals reported to co-occur with native antimony. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Sb
- Mohs hardness
- 3-3.5
- Density
- 6.61-6.72 g/cm³
- Streak
- Gray
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Massive, reticulate
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {0001}, distinct on {1011}, imperfect on {1014}, indistinct on {1120}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Industrial
- Host rock
- In hydrothermal Sb–Ag veins
Where rockhounds find native antimony
Classic worldwide localities
- South Riverside, Riverside Co., USA
- Erskine Creek, Kern Co., California, USA
- Příbram, Czech Republic
- St. Andreasberg, Harz Mountains, Germany
- Allemont, Isère, France
- Sarrabus, Sardinia, Italy
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In hydrothermal Sb–Ag veins. If you start seeing silver, stibnite, allemontite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: massive, reticulate. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify native antimony?+
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Find native antimony on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
