Alabandite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

  
Alabandite is named for its supposed discovery locality at Alabanda, Aïdin, Turkey.

Discovered in 1832;   IMA status:  Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

Mn²⁺S

Manganese Sulfide

Molecular Weight:

87.00 gm

Composition:

Manganese

63.14 %

Mn

Sulfur

36.86 %

S

100.00 %

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Sulfides

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

2/C.15-30

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

2.CD.10

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
D : With Sn, Pb, Hg, etc.

Related to:

Galena Group. Dimorphous with Rambergite.

Members of Group:

Galena Group: Alabandite, Altaite, Clausthalite, Galena, Niningerite, Oldhamite

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

Alabandine, Alabandite (of Beudant), Glance-blende, Manganblende

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Isometric - Hexoctahedral

Crystal Habit:

Crystals cubic or octahedral, to 1 cm. Commonly massive, granular.

Twinning:

Lamellar || {111}

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

Perfect on {001}

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

3.5 - 4.0; VHN = 164–174, 167 average (100 g load)

Density:

3.95 - 4.04 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Optical Properties

Color:

Iron-Black, tarnishing Brown; in polished section, Gray-White; deep Green to Brown and Red in thin slivers.

Transparency:

Opaque, but Translucent in very thin fragments.

Luster:

Sub-Metallic

Refractive Index:

2.70  Isotropic

Birefringence:

0.00  Isotropic

Dispersion:

None

Pleochroism:

None

Other:

Color in reflected light: white to gray

Occurances

Geological Setting:

May be in large quantities in epithermal polymetallic sulfide vein and especially in low-temperature manganese deposits. An uncommon constituent of a number of meteorites.

Common Associations:

Galena, Chalcopyrite, Sphalerite, Pyrite, Acanthite, Tellurium, Rhodochrosite, Calcite, Rhodonite, Quartz

Common Impurities:

Fe, Mg, Co

Type Locality:

Sacarîmb (Sãcãrâmb; Szekerembe; Nagyág), Hunedoara Co., Romania
(originally incorrectly reported from Aydin, Aydin Province, Turkey)

Year Discovered:

1832

View mineral photos:

Alabandite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Alabandite is a relatively rare manganese sufide mineral that is most often found as massive to granular aggregates but also rarely as cubic or octahedral crystals to 1 cm. It was originally incorrectly reported from Aydin, Aydin Province, Turkey but was first found at Sãcãrîmb, Hunedoara, Romania. Alabandite is colored iron-black, tarnishing brown; in polished section, gray-white; deep green to brown and red in thin slivers. It takes a good polish and is an attractive cabochon gem for collectors of unusual Black or Metallic gems.

Selected localities include Alabanda, 30 km south-southeast of Aydin, Aydin Province, Turkey. At Baia-de-Aries (Offenbánya), Sãcãrîmb (Nagyág), and Cavnic (Kapnikbánya), Romania. From Adervielle, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. At Gersdorf, Saxony, Germany. From manganese mines in Val Graveglia, Liguria, Italy. At Nsuta, Ghana. In the Yakumo and Inakuraishi mines, Hokkaido; the Taisei mine, Akita Prefecture; and many other localities in Japan. From Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. In Peru, at Morococha, Junin. In the Preciosa mine, Tlalchichuca, Puebla, and at Onovas, Sonora, Mexico. In the USA, in the Lucky Cuss mine, Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona; the Queen of the West mine, Summit County, Colorado; at Schellbourne, White Pine County, Nevada; and from Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana.
 

  
Alabandite gems for sale:

We have not photographed the Alabandite gems yet. Please check back soon.