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 — Sarabauite leaves light red, Stibnite leaves lead-gray; luster reads adamantine on Sarabauite and metallic on Stibnite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — 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 — that is 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
How do you identify sarabauite?+
Where is sarabauite found?+
How much is sarabauite worth?+
Is sarabauite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like sarabauite?+
What minerals are found with sarabauite?+
What kind of rock does sarabauite form in?+
What is sarabauite used for?+
Find sarabauite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
