Sarabauite is a very rare antimony-calcium sulfide mineral known primarily from the Sarabau mine in Malaysia. It typically occurs as small, distinctively tabular, dark red crystals that show a strong adamantine luster. Collectors prize it for its unique chemistry and extreme rarity, usually appearing in association with other antimony minerals.
Is this sarabauite?
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 sarabauite with a known reference. Sarabauite 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. Sarabauite leaves a light red streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Sarabauite typically shows a adamantine luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: dark red, brownish-red.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: tabular crystals, platy aggregates.
Often confused with
Sarabauite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Sarabauite leaves light red, Stibnite leaves lead-gray; luster reads adamantine on Sarabauite and metallic on Stibnite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Sarabauite leaves light red, Kermesite leaves brownish-red.
Often found alongside sarabauite
Minerals reported to co-occur with sarabauite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CaSb₁₀O₁₀S₆
- Mohs hardness
- 2
- Density
- 6.08 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Light Red
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Tabular Crystals, Platy Aggregates
- Cleavage
- Perfect On {0001}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Antimony Deposits
- Typical price
- $100-500 for small thumbnail specimens
Where rockhounds find sarabauite
Classic worldwide localities
- Sarabau mine, Bau, Sarawak, Malaysia
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal antimony deposits country, the host setting where sarabauite typically forms. If you start seeing stibnite, senarmontite, valentinite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a tabular crystals, platy aggregates habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find sarabauite on the map
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