Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
    Subclass : Sulfosalts
    Crystal system : Trigonal
    Chemistry : Ag₁₆As₂S₁₁
    Rarity : Uncommon

Pearceite is a silver sulfosalt from the black silver family which forms a continuous series with polybasite, its much more common antimony equivalent. It is a fairly rare primary mineral from silver-bearing hydrothermal deposits in which it is associated with other silver sulfides such as stephanite, pyrargyrite or acanthite. It was named in honor of Richard Pearce, a chemist and metallurgist in Denver, Colorado. Like polybasite, pearceite has a metallic luster and an iron black color. It commonly crystallizes in short pseudohexagonal tabular crystals with beveled edges, flattened and streaked on {001}, sometimes grouped in rosettes up to 2 cm, but rarely forms beautiful crystallized samples. Pearceite is a significant silver ore.

Main photo : Pearceite from Neuenberg, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, Haut-Rhin, France © Thierry Brunsperger

Presence of complex twins not visible to the naked eye.

No fakes listed for this mineral species.