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. Streak: chocolate-brown.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: dear lead gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: acicular, striated.
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 to chocolate-brown; luster reads metallic on Sartorite and submetallic on Dufrénoysite.
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
- 5.10 g/cm³
- Colors
- Dear lead gray
- Streak
- Chocolate-brown
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Acicular, striated
- Cleavage
- Fair on {100}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Scientific research
- Host rock
- In a hydrothermal deposit in dolostone (Binntal, Switzerland)
Where rockhounds find sartorite
Classic worldwide localities
- Zuni mine, San Juan Co., Colorado, USA
- Lengenbach quarry, Binntal, Valais, Switzerland (type locality)
- Pitone marble quarry, near Seravezza, Tuscany, Italy
- Julcani district, Peru
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In a hydrothermal deposit in dolostone (Binntal, Switzerland). If you start seeing tennantite, pyrite, dufrénoysite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: acicular, striated. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find sartorite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
