Silver antimony sulfide known as dark ruby silver. Important silver ore mineral with 59.9% silver content. Color: Dark red to black. Luster: Adamantine to submetallic. Streak: Purplish-red. Cleavage: Poor. Hardness: 2.5. Transparency: Translucent to opaque. Crystal system: Hexagonal Trigonal. Chemical formula: Ag₃SbS₃. Specific gravity: 5.85. Formation: Forms in low-temperature hydrothermal silver veins, often with proustite and native silver. Common geological settings: Mexico, Bolivia, Germany, Czech Republic; found in silver-bearing veins. Common look-alikes and related entries: Proustite, Cinnabar, Stibnite. Specimen safety: Keep this antimony-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.
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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
2026-03-30T14:37:16.635445+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.
Antimony — CDC/NIOSH. Official occupational-hazard, exposure-route, symptom, and protective-equipment information for antimony.
Silver antimony sulfide known as dark ruby silver. Important silver ore mineral with 59.9% silver content.
How can you identify Pyrargyrite?
Compare several properties rather than relying on colour alone. This entry records colour: Dark red to black; lustre: Adamantine to submetallic; streak: Purplish-red; Mohs hardness: 2.5; cleavage: Poor; crystal system: Hexagonal Trigonal; transparency: Translucent to opaque. Confirm an important identification with additional field tests or qualified laboratory work.
How does Pyrargyrite form?
Forms in low-temperature hydrothermal silver veins, often with proustite and native silver.
Where is Pyrargyrite commonly found?
Mexico, Bolivia, Germany, Czech Republic; found in silver-bearing veins.
Is Pyrargyrite safe to handle?
Keep this antimony-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 Pyrargyrite commonly confused with?
Pyrargyrite may be confused with Proustite, Cinnabar, Stibnite. Compare multiple diagnostic properties because colour and surface appearance can overlap.
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