Sartorite is a rare lead arsenic sulfosalt best known for its slender, deeply striated, lead-gray prismatic crystals. It is primarily found in the famous dolomite quarries of the Binnental region in Switzerland, often occurring in complex mineral associations.
Is this sartorite?
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 sartorite with a known reference. Sartorite sits at Mohs 3 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Sartorite leaves a chocolate-brown streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Sartorite typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: lead-gray, steel-gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: striated prismatic to acicular crystals.
Often confused with
Sartorite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Sartorite leaves chocolate-brown, Dufrénoysite leaves reddish-brown.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Sartorite leaves chocolate-brown, Liveingite leaves black.
How to tell apart: Sartorite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3 vs. 2); streak differs — Sartorite leaves chocolate-brown, Stibnite leaves lead-gray.
Often found alongside sartorite
Minerals reported to co-occur with sartorite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- PbAs₂S₄
- Mohs hardness
- 3
- Density
- 5.0-5.1 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Chocolate-brown
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Striated Prismatic to Acicular Crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect On {010}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Scientific Research
- Host rock
- Dolomitic Marble Cavities
- Typical price
- $50-500 depending on specimen size and crystal perfection
Where rockhounds find sartorite
Classic worldwide localities
- Binnental, Switzerland
- Lengenbach Quarry, Switzerland
- Jas Roux, France
Field-hunting tip
Look in dolomitic marble cavities country — that is the host setting where sartorite typically forms. If you start seeing realgar, orpiment, pyrite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a striated prismatic to acicular crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find sartorite on the map
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