Some sources say that alabandite was named for the ancient city of Alabanda, in what is now Turkey, although
there are no modern records of the mineral being found anywhere in Turkey. Two thousand years ago a stone that just
might have been alabandite was mined for making glass at Alabanda, but Mindat has a different suggestion; the
name may come from the Spanish alabandina sulfúrea (sulphuric manganese). Rational, certainly, but it does
not have the romance of a two millenia old glass industry.
Images
Formula: MnS (ie: Mn2+S2-)
Sulphide, galena group,
manganese-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Isometric
Specific gravity: 3.95 to 4.04 measured, 4.053 calculated
Hardness: 3½ to 4
Streak: Green
Colour: Black, tarnishing to brown
Common impurities: Fe,Mg,Co
Environments
Carbonatites
Hydrothermal environments
Meteorites
Alabandite occurs in epithermal polymetallic sulphide veins and especially in low-temperature
manganese deposits
(HOM). It is an accessory mineral in some enstatite chondrodites
(Dana). In hydrothermal veins it is commonly associated with galena,
chalcopyrite, sphalerite,
pyrite, acanthite,
rhodochrosite,
calcite, rhodonite and
quartz
(HOM, R&M 86.6.530-535).
Localities
At Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, alabandite is associated with
calcite,
baryte, pyrite,
chabazite and sulphur.
Alabandite from Broken Hill
At Ol Doinyo Lengai, Ngorongoro District, Arusha region, Tanzania, alabandite occurs as
phenocrysts in natrocarbonatite lava, associated with
gregoryite
(HOM).
At the Uchacchacua mine, Lima Department, Peru, alabandite is associated with
fluorite,
proustite and rhodochrosite
(R&M 86.6.530-535).
At the Sunnyside mine, San Juan County, Colorado, USA, alabandite is associated with
friedelite and
alleghanyite
(R&M 86.6.530-535).
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