Dyscrasite

Description

Dyscrasite has a hardness of 3½ – 4 and a specific gravity of 9.712. It was named from the Greek word δυσκράσις, meaning “a bad alloy.” It occurs as a hydrothermal mineral in silver bearing veins in association with native silver, pyrargyrite, acanthite, stromeyerite, tetrahedrite, allemontite, galena, calcite and baryte, according to Wikipedia.

It has been found in roughly a couple hundred mines worldwide on every Continent with the most coming from Europe and in at least four mines in Colorado so far, but there’s likely more out there, so keep your eyes open for a mineral like this!

According to WebMineral, at roughly 73% Silver and 27% Antimony, this is a small but prized mineral sought by miners for its valuable Silver, but also somewhat dreaded due to its Antimony. Because it’s Antimony, you should definitely not buy this and eat it once you receive it, but otherwise, and as long as it stays out of the hands of a child, this small mineral is pretty safe. Just wash your hands after handling.