Description
Psilomelane has a hardness of 5-6 and a specific gravity of 4.7. Psilomelane is an obsolete term for manganese oxides, named in 1758 from the Greek ψιλός (psilos) “smooth” or “bald”, and μέλας (melas) “black” in allusion to the form and color, according to Mindat. According to Wikipedia, “Psilomelane is a group name for hard black hydrous manganese oxides including hollandite and romanechite, manganese oxide with variable amounts of barium and potassium. Psilomelane is erroneously, and uncommonly, known as black hematite, despite not being related to true hematite, which is an iron oxide.”
At 23% Barium and 46% Manganese, and as a primary ore, this would make for a great sample for element collectors, or a cool, cheap, unconventional addition to the collection for mineral collectors!
There’s around 2,000 recorded localities on Mindat around the world, with more than 60 in Colorado alone, so no matter where you’re hiking, be sure to keep an eye out for a cool smooth, black rock like this and you’ll be able to identify Psilomelane!
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