Hausmannite - image 1

Hausmannite

J

0 for sale

Hausmannite, 3.2 cm, from the N’Chwaning II mine, Northern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa. Ex Ralph Clark collection; Tom Spann photo.

Product details

Species

HausmanniteAbout Hausmannite →

SizeMiniature

Dimensions3.2 cm

Added on02/13/2026

Locality

South Africa, Northern Cape, N'Chwaning II MineRegional guide →

Publications

Mineralogical Record Mineral Collecting In Texas page 80

Known provenance

Date	Collector	Acquisition price
—	Ralph Clark	Not disclosed

Comments

Learn more

Learn about Hausmannite

(Mn3O4): jet-black, metallic luster with sharp pseudo-octahedra. From South Africa’s Kalahari Manganese Field, prized for dramatic contrast.

Hausmannite

Hausmannite from N'Chwaning II Mine, South Africa

from N'Chwaning II is one of the rare cases where a black manganese oxide becomes a true connoisseur mineral. The best pieces are not simply “black crystals”: they are architectural, high-luster, jet-black to brownish-black dipyramids, often stacked into pagoda-like forms and set against brick-red andradite, white baryte, colorless to white calcite, or the prized rose-pink datolite that made certain late-1990s pieces instantly recognizable. In hand specimen, the finest crystals have a sharp metallic to submetallic gleam that catches light from multiple growth faces, so that a seemingly dark specimen suddenly breaks into bright reflections as it is turned.