Jamesonite is a
sulfosalt mineral, a
lead,
iron,
antimony sulfide with formula Pb
4FeSb
6S
14. With the addition of
manganese it forms a series with
benavidesite. It is a dark grey metallic mineral which forms acicular prismatic
monoclinic crystals. It is soft with a
Mohs hardness of 2.5 and has a
specific gravity of 5.5 - 5.6. It is one of the few sulfide minerals to form fibrous or needle like crystals. It can also form large prismatic crystals similar to
stibnite with which it can be associated. It is usually found in low to moderate temperature
hydrothermal deposits.
It was named for Scottish mineralogist Robert Jameson (1774-1854). It was first identified in 1825 in Cornwall, England. It is also reported from South Dakota and Arkansas, USA; Zacatecas, Mexico; and Romania.
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