Stistaite is a rare tin-antimony alloy mineral primarily found as microscopic inclusions within cassiterite ores. It typically appears as metallic, pale gray grains and is highly sought after by advanced mineral collectors of rare metallic species.
Is this stistaite?
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 stistaite with a known reference. Stistaite sits at Mohs >2, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: light gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: microscopic crystals, pseudo cubic.
Often confused with
Stistaite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Dyscrasite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. >2); streak differs, so Stistaite leaves white, Dyscrasite leaves silver-white.
How to tell apart: Stannite is the harder of the two (Mohs 4 vs. >2); streak differs, so Stistaite leaves white, Stannite leaves blackish.
Often found alongside stistaite
Minerals reported to co-occur with stistaite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SnSb
- Mohs hardness
- >2
- Density
- 6.91 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Microscopic crystals, pseudo cubic
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In concentrates from placer deposits from a region of Silurian shaly-sandy sediments (Elkiaidai River, Uzbekistan); in concentrates from precious metal placers (Rio Tamaná, Colombia)
Where rockhounds find stistaite
Classic worldwide localities
- Elkiaidai River, eastern margin of the Northern Nuratau Range, western Uzbekistan (type locality)
- Baimka gold-PGE placer, western Chukotka, Russian Far East, Russia
- Rio Tamaná, the Department of Chocó, Cauca, Colombia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In concentrates from placer deposits from a region of Silurian shaly-sandy sediments (Elkiaidai River, Uzbekistan); in concentrates from precious metal placers (Rio Tamaná, Colombia). If you start seeing tin, zircon, leucoxene in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: microscopic crystals, pseudo cubic. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify stistaite?+
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Find stistaite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
