Silver arsenic sulfide known as ruby silver for its vivid red color and high silver content 65.4% Ag . Color: Scarlet red, darkens on exposure. Luster: Adamantine. Streak: Scarlet red. Cleavage: Good. Hardness: 2-2.5. Transparency: Translucent. Crystal system: Hexagonal Trigonal. Chemical formula: Ag₃AsS₃. Specific gravity: 5.57. Formation: Forms in low-temperature hydrothermal silver veins as a late-stage mineral. Common geological settings: Chile, Germany, Mexico, Czech Republic; found in silver-bearing hydrothermal veins. Common look-alikes and related entries: Pyrargyrite, Cinnabar, Cuprite. Specimen safety: Keep this arsenic-bearing specimen intact. Do not cut, grind, polish, streak, lick, heat, or use acid on it. Avoid creating or breathing dust or fumes, wash your hands with soap and water after handling, and keep it away from food, children, and pets.
These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.
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GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T14:37:51.65055+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
IMA–CNMNC List of Mineral Names — International Mineralogical Association. Official mineral-name, nomenclature, and classification records.
Mineral ID Key — Mineralogical Society of America. Physical-property identification methods, repeat-testing guidance, and limitations.
Arsenic (inorganic compounds, as As) — CDC/NIOSH. Official occupational-hazard, exposure-route, symptom, and protective-equipment information for inorganic arsenic compounds.
Silver arsenic sulfide known as ruby silver for its vivid red color and high silver content 65.4% Ag .
How can you identify Proustite?
Compare several properties rather than relying on colour alone. This entry records colour: Scarlet red, darkens on exposure; lustre: Adamantine; streak: Scarlet red; Mohs hardness: 2-2.5; cleavage: Good; crystal system: Hexagonal Trigonal; transparency: Translucent. Confirm an important identification with additional field tests or qualified laboratory work.
How does Proustite form?
Forms in low-temperature hydrothermal silver veins as a late-stage mineral.
Where is Proustite commonly found?
Chile, Germany, Mexico, Czech Republic; found in silver-bearing hydrothermal veins.
Is Proustite safe to handle?
Keep this arsenic-bearing specimen intact. Do not cut, grind, polish, streak, lick, heat, or use acid on it. Avoid creating or breathing dust or fumes, wash your hands with soap and water after handling, and keep it away from food, children, and pets. Avoid creating dust or using destructive tests on an unknown specimen, and follow site-specific safety procedures.
What is Proustite commonly confused with?
Proustite may be confused with Pyrargyrite, Cinnabar, Cuprite. Compare multiple diagnostic properties because colour and surface appearance can overlap.
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