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, so Sartorite leaves chocolate-brown, Dufrénoysite leaves reddish-brown.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Sartorite leaves chocolate-brown, Liveingite leaves black.
How to tell apart: Sartorite is noticeably harder (Mohs 3 vs. 2); streak differs, so 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, 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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