Stannite is a rare sulfide mineral that serves as an important secondary ore for tin. It is typically found in massive or granular forms with a characteristic steel-gray to bronze-black metallic luster, often mistaken for chalcopyrite but distinguished by its darker streak.
Is this stannite?
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 stannite with a known reference. Stannite sits at Mohs 4, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: blackish.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: steel gray, blue, grayish black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: crystalline, massive.
Often confused with
Stannite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Stannite leaves blackish, Chalcopyrite leaves greenish black.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Stannite leaves blackish, Tetrahedrite leaves black to brown.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Stannite leaves blackish, Sphalerite leaves pale brown to pale yellow and white; luster reads metallic on Stannite and resinous to adamantine on Sphalerite.
Often found alongside stannite
Minerals reported to co-occur with stannite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Cu₂FeSnS₄
- Mohs hardness
- 4
- Density
- 4.3-4.5 g/cm³
- Streak
- Blackish
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Crystalline, massive
- Cleavage
- Indistinct on {110} and {001}
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Ore of tin, Collector
- Host rock
- In tin-bearing vein deposits of hydrothermal origin
Where rockhounds find stannite
Classic worldwide localities
- Peerless and Etta mines, near Keystone, Pennington Co., South Dakota, USA
- Cornwall, England, from Wheal Rock, near St. Agnes (type locality), and at a number of other mines, where it may constitute an ore mineral
- Cínovec (Zinnwald), Czech Republic
- Broken Hill, New South Wales, and from Zeehan, Tasmania, Australia
- Itos and San José mines, Oruro, Bolivia
- Llallagua, Chocaya, and Cerro Rico, Potosí, Bolivia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In tin-bearing vein deposits of hydrothermal origin. If you start seeing chalcopyrite, sphalerite, tetrahedrite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: crystalline, massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify stannite?+
Where is stannite found?+
Is stannite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like stannite?+
What minerals are found with stannite?+
What kind of rock does stannite form in?+
What is stannite used for?+
Find stannite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
