Lepageite is a rare manganese iron antimony oxide that forms brownish black crystals. It was approved as a distinct mineral species in 2018. It was first described from Szklary pegmatite, ~6 km north of Ząbkowice Śląskie, Lower Silesia, southwest Poland.
Is this lepageite?
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 lepageite with a known reference. Lepageite 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. Lepageite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Lepageite typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brownish black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: triclinic. Typical habit: crystals.
Often confused with
Lepageite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Hureaulite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5 vs. 2); luster reads metallic on Lepageite and vitreous on Hureaulite.
How to tell apart: Phosphosiderite is the harder of the two (Mohs 3.5-4 vs. 2); luster reads metallic on Lepageite and vitreous on Phosphosiderite.
Often found alongside lepageite
Minerals reported to co-occur with lepageite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mn²⁺₃(Fe³⁺₇Fe²⁺₄)O₃[Sb³⁺₅As³⁺₈O₃₄]
- Mohs hardness
- 2
- Density
- 5.192 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Crystal habit
- Crystals
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites
Where rockhounds find lepageite
Classic worldwide localities
- Szklary pegmatite, Lower Silesia, southwest Poland
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country, the host setting where lepageite typically forms. If you start seeing hureaulite, triphylite, eosphorite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify lepageite?+
Where is lepageite found?+
Is lepageite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like lepageite?+
What minerals are found with lepageite?+
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Find lepageite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
