Jamesonite
Mineral Pb4FeSb6S14
Also called Feather ore
Take care.
- Contains lead: Wash your hands after handling it, keep it away from children, and don't make dust.
- Toxic: Wash your hands after handling it, don't lick or taste it, and don't make dust.
- Fragile: Handle it gently and pack it well; it breaks or crumbles easily.
About it
Lead-grey needles and hair-like felts; a good cleavage across the needles helps tell it from boulangerite. Named for Robert Jameson; found in Cornwall, Bolivia, and Romania.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Sulfosalt
- Formula
- Pb4FeSb6S14
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 2.5
- Specific gravity
- 5.5–5.7
- Streak
- greyish black
- Lustre
- metallic
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Colours
- lead grey, iridescent tarnish
- Transparency
- opaque
- Cleavage and fracture
- good across the needles
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.