Stangersite is a rare tin germanium sulfide. It occurs in rock fragments and on crumbly black ash in the central part of a spontaneously burning coal mine dump. It is associated with greenockite and herzenbergite. It was first described from the dump of the abandoned Kateřina mine, ~12 km east of Trutnov, northern Bohemia, Czech Republic.
Is this stangersite?
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 stangersite with a known reference. Stangersite sits at Mohs 6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: very light yellowish brown.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous to adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: orange, yellowish red.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Stangersite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside stangersite
Minerals reported to co-occur with stangersite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SnGeS₃
- Mohs hardness
- 6
- Density
- 3.98 g/cm³
- Colors
- OrangeYellowish red
- Streak
- Very light yellowish brown
- Luster
- Vitreous to adamantine
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect perpendicular and oblique to elongation
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- hydrothermal veins in pegmatites
Where rockhounds find stangersite
Classic worldwide localities
- Dump of the abandoned Kateřina mine, northern Bohemia, Czech Republic
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: hydrothermal veins in pegmatites. If you start seeing danburite, calcite, quartz in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: prismatic crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify stangersite?+
Where is stangersite found?+
What rocks look like stangersite?+
What minerals are found with stangersite?+
What kind of rock does stangersite form in?+
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Find stangersite on the map
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