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. Native Antimony leaves a tin-white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Native Antimony typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: tin-white, silver-white, light gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: massive, lamellar, granular, rarely rhombohedral crystals.
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 tin-white, Stibnite leaves lead-gray.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Native Antimony leaves tin-white, Arsenic leaves black.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Native Antimony leaves tin-white, Bismuth leaves silver-white.
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
- 6.6-6.7 g/cm³
- Streak
- Tin-white
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Massive, Lamellar, Granular, Rarely Rhombohedral Crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect Basal
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Industrial
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins
- Typical price
- $20-150 thumbnail, $200+ cabinet specimen
Where rockhounds find native antimony
Classic worldwide localities
- Sala, Sweden
- Broken Hill, Australia
- Kern County, California, USA
- Przibram, Czech Republic
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins country, the host setting where native antimony typically forms. If you start seeing stibnite, galena, sphalerite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive, lamellar, granular, rarely rhombohedral crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find native antimony on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
