Samsonite is a silver manganese antimony sulfosalt mineral with formula Ag4MnSb2S6. It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system with a typical slender radiating prismatic habit. It is metallic black to steel black with no cleavage and a brittle to conchoidal fracture. In thin fragments it appears reddish brown in transmitted light and also leaves a red streak. It is soft, Mohs hardness of 2.5, and has a specific gravity of 5.51.

Samsonite
Samsonite crystal from its type locality Samson Mine, St. Andreasberg, Harz, Germany
General
CategorySulfosalt minerals
Formula
(repeating unit)
Ag4MnSb2S6
Strunz classification2.GA.15
Crystal systemMonoclinic
Crystal classPrismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)
Space groupP21/n
Unit cella = 10.3861(6) Å
b = 8.1108(7) Å
c = 6.663(7) Å
β = 92.639(12)°; Z = 2
Identification
ColorBlack
Mohs scale hardness2+12
LusterMetallic
DiaphaneityOpaque
Specific gravity5.461 (calculated)
References[1][2][3]

It was first named in 1910 after an occurrence in the Samson Vein of the Sankt Andreasberg silver mines, Harz Mountains, Germany.

See also

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References

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  • Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1944) Dana's system of mineralogy, (7th edition), v. I, pp. 393–395