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 — Native Antimony leaves tin-white, Stibnite leaves lead-gray.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Native Antimony leaves tin-white, Arsenic leaves black.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — 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 — that is 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.
