Examples of Sulfide Minerals: The Complete List

Rocky outcrops, hydrothermal veins and mine dumps tell a lot about Earth’s ore-forming processes, and sulfide minerals are often the fingerprints geologists look for. Knowing which sulfides appear where helps with mapping deposits, understanding alteration, and recognizing valuable metal sources in the field.

There are 37 Examples of Sulfide Minerals, ranging from Acanthite to Vaesite. For each entry, you’ll find below the columns Formula, Primary metal(s), Common locations, presented so you can compare composition and typical occurrences at a glance.

How can I identify common sulfide minerals in the field?

Look for metallic luster, specific gravity (they’re often heavy), streak color, and association with other ore minerals; simple handheld tests—streak plate, hardness, and a magnet—combined with location context usually narrow candidates before lab confirmation.

Which metals are most commonly found in sulfide minerals?

Copper, iron, lead, zinc and silver are the most frequent, but sulfides also host rarer metals like nickel, cobalt and platinum-group elements; the Formula and Primary metal(s) columns below show the dominant metal for each listed mineral.

Examples of Sulfide Minerals

Images and Descriptions

Pyrite

Iron sulfide with metallic luster and brassy color, often called “fool’s gold.” Extremely common in hydrothermal, sedimentary, and metamorphic settings; used as a sulfur source and a useful exploration indicator mineral.

Marcasite

Polymorph of pyrite with pale bronze color and different crystal habit. Forms in low-temperature hydrothermal and sedimentary deposits; brittle crystals and twinning make specimens popular with collectors despite being less stable than pyrite.

Pyrrhotite

Nonstoichiometric iron sulfide with variable iron deficiency, magnetic properties, and bronze color. Common in magmatic sulfide deposits and metamorphosed rocks; can cause rock instability and is important in nickel-copper exploration.

Chalcopyrite

Primary copper iron sulfide and the most important copper ore. Brassy yellow color, brass-like tarnish; abundant in porphyry, hydrothermal veins, and massive sulfide deposits; widely mined for copper production.

Chalcocite

High-grade copper sulfide with dark metallic luster; forms in supergene enrichment zones and as primary mineral. Economically valuable because of high copper content; often forms compact, botryoidal masses.

Covellite

Deep indigo-blue to black copper sulfide with distinctive iridescence. Occurs in supergene zones of copper deposits and as an indicator of copper enrichment; attractive specimens are popular with collectors and researchers.

Bornite

Also called “peacock ore” for iridescent tarnish; an important copper ore in porphyry and hydrothermal deposits. Brown-bronze fresh surfaces oxidize to vivid blues and purples, making specimens visually striking.

Enargite

Copper arsenic sulfide found in high-sulfidation hydrothermal veins. Metallic to resinous luster; an important copper ore that contains arsenic, which complicates processing and environmental handling at mines.

Tetrahedrite

Common copper–antimony sulfosalt with variable metal content. Forms in hydrothermal veins and polymetallic deposits; many specimens are ore minerals for copper and silver, though composition is highly variable.

Tennantite

Arsenic-bearing analogue of tetrahedrite. Occurs in hydrothermal veins and massive sulfide deposits; can carry silver and copper and is important in polymetallic ore bodies.

Galena

Primary ore of lead with bright metallic luster and cubic crystals. Common in hydrothermal veins and Mississippi Valley-type deposits; often contains silver as a valuable byproduct and is dense and soft.

Sphalerite

Major zinc ore, crystalline to resinous in appearance. Occurs in many hydrothermal, sedimentary-exhalative, and Mississippi Valley-type deposits; variable iron content affects color and luster.

Cinnabar

Bright red mercury sulfide and the principal ore of mercury. Forms in low-temperature hydrothermal veins and hot-spring deposits; historically used as pigment but toxic due to mercury content.

Stibnite

Silvery-gray acicular crystals of antimony sulfide, the primary ore of antimony. Forms in hydrothermal veins and hot-spring deposits; used in flame retardants, alloys, and some electronic applications.

Arsenopyrite

Iron arsenic sulfide commonly in hydrothermal veins and metamorphic rocks. Metallic and steel-gray; important gold-associated mineral and can be a source of arsenic contamination when mined.

Pentlandite

Primary nickel sulfide in magmatic sulfide deposits. Massive, bronze to metallic; major ore for nickel production and often associated with copper and platinum-group elements.

Millerite

Nickel sulfide with acicular, hair-like crystals and bright metallic luster. Forms in hydrothermal veins and supergene zones; occasionally mined as a nickel ore and prized by collectors for slender crystals.

Gersdorffite

Nickel arsenic sulfide occurring in hydrothermal veins and nickel-bearing deposits. Metallic and often confused with other nickel minerals; collectors value its well-formed crystals and distinctive composition.

Ullmannite

Nickel antimony sulfide found in hydrothermal veins and sulfide-rich deposits. Metallic and brittle; of interest to collectors and mineralogists studying nickel-antimony associations.

Molybdenite

Soft, platy molybdenum sulfide with metallic gray color and graphite-like feel. Main ore of molybdenum, used for steel alloys and high-temperature applications; exhibits strong basal cleavage and lubricating properties.

Vaesite

Nickel disulfide with metallic to submetallic luster, occurs in hydrothermal and magmatic sulfide deposits. Related to pyrite structurally and sometimes associated with pentlandite and other nickel minerals.

Cattierite

Cobalt disulfide resembling pyrite in habit. Found in hydrothermal veins and magmatic sulfide deposits; can be a minor cobalt ore and is of interest for cobalt exploration.

Realgar

Bright red-orange arsenic sulfide forming soft, resinous crystals. Occurs in low-temperature hydrothermal veins and hot-spring deposits; historically used as pigment and in fireworks but is toxic and weathers readily.

Orpiment

Yellow arsenic sulfide with silky to resinous luster, often associated with realgar and hydrothermal deposits. Historically used as a pigment and ornamental stone but is toxic due to arsenic content.

Acanthite

Silver sulfide and an important silver ore with dark metallic appearance. Forms in low-temperature hydrothermal veins and supergene zones; historically mined for native silver and silver compounds.

Pyrargyrite

Ruby silver sulfosalt with deep red to black crystals, valued by collectors. Occurs in silver-rich hydrothermal veins and contributes to silver production where present.

Stephanite

Silver sulfosalt common in silver deposits with elongated metallic crystals. Historically significant in silver mining and attractive to collectors for its luster and crystal habits.

Bournonite

Complex sulfosalt with blocky orthorhombic crystals and metallic luster. Occurs in hydrothermal veins and is associated with other lead–copper sulfosalts; collectors prize well-formed specimens.

Boulangerite

Fibrous lead–antimony sulfosalt often forming silky, needle-like aggregates or rosettes. Occurs in hydrothermal veins; attractive specimens are popular with collectors despite being minor ore mineral.

Famatinite

Copper antimony sulfosalt named for the Famatina district. Found in hydrothermal veins and polymetallic deposits; is an ore mineral for copper and contributes to local mineral diversity.

Stannite

Tin-bearing copper iron sulfide occurring in hydrothermal and polymetallic deposits. Dark metallic crystals and an important indicator of tin and copper mineralization in ore systems.

Digenite

Intermediate copper sulfide with deep blue-black color and metallic luster. Common in supergene and hypogene zones; contributes to copper ore grade and forms massive or crystalline aggregates.

Djurleite

Copper sulfide with complex structure, forming in low-sulfur hydrothermal systems and supergene zones. Often intergrown with chalcocite and digenite; significant in understanding copper paragenesis.

Alabandite

Simple manganese sulfide that occurs in hydrothermal deposits and manganese-rich environments. Metallic and black, it is a minor manganese ore and occasionally forms well-shaped crystals for collectors.

Linnaeite

Cobalt sulfide with metallic luster, occurring in hydrothermal veins and some skarn deposits. Of interest for cobalt exploration and as a collector mineral when well-crystallized.

Andorite

Complex sulfosalt containing lead, silver, and antimony. Found in polymetallic hydrothermal veins; rare and prized by collectors for distinctive, often eurhythmic crystals and metallic luster.

Greigite

Iron sulfide structurally similar to magnetite, found in sedimentary and hydrothermal environments and in some biological settings. Magnetic and black; important in geophysical studies and early diagenetic sulfide formation.

Examples of Other Minerals