Parwelite is an exceptionally rare manganese-antimony-arsenic mineral known primarily from the Långban iron and manganese mines in Sweden. It typically occurs as reddish-brown, granular masses and is a prized target for advanced collectors of complex silicate minerals.
Is this parwelite?
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 parwelite with a known reference. Parwelite sits at Mohs 5.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: pale brownish orange.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: subadamantine, oily.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: prismatic.
Often confused with
Parwelite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Parwelite leaves pale brownish orange, Tilasite leaves white; luster reads subadamantine, oily on Parwelite and resinous, vitreous on cleavages on Tilasite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Parwelite leaves pale brownish orange, Adelite leaves white; luster reads subadamantine, oily on Parwelite and resinous on Adelite.
Often found alongside parwelite
Minerals reported to co-occur with parwelite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mn₁₀Sb₂As₂Si₂O₂₄
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5
- Density
- 4.62 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Pale brownish orange
- Luster
- Subadamantine, oily
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic
- Cleavage
- Fair to poor on {010}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In a high-temperature skarn assemblage, in recrystallized manganoan carbonate ores
Where rockhounds find parwelite
Classic worldwide localities
- Långban, Värmland, Sweden
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In a high-temperature skarn assemblage, in recrystallized manganoan carbonate ores. If you start seeing långbanite, spessartine, hausmannite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: prismatic. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify parwelite?+
Where is parwelite found?+
Is parwelite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like parwelite?+
What minerals are found with parwelite?+
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What is parwelite used for?+
Find parwelite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
