Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Azurite vs. Smithsonite
It's carbonate-vs-carbonate to kick off Mineral Cup 2026 with copper-rich Azurite against zinc-rich Smithsonite.
Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic TimeExplore Fossils
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryMineral Visual ExplorerAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral QuizTime Machine
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorPhoto Colour ExplorerNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Shosanbetsuite

A valid IMA mineral species
This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
01811180017271953551661.jpg
Shosanbetsu River and village, Japan
Formula:
Ag3Sn
Colour:
Silver white
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
Specific Gravity:
11.1 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named after the Shosanbetsu River, Japan, the type locality.
Known synthetic analogue.


Hide all sections | Show all sections

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
53565
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:53565:4

IMA Classification of ShosanbetsuiteHide

Classification of ShosanbetsuiteHide

1.AD.35

1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
A : Metals and Intermetallic Alloys
D : Mercury-amalgam family

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

SymbolSourceReference for Standard
SsbIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of ShosanbetsuiteHide

Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Silver white
Streak:
Gray
Hardness:
2½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Density:
11.1 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of ShosanbetsuiteHide

Anisotropism:
Weak to very weak
Reflectivity:
WavelengthR1 (%)
400nm40.1%
420nm43.1%
440nm46.4%
460nm49.2%
470nm50.3%
480nm51.4%
500nm53.3%
520nm55.1%
540nm56.6%
546nm57.2%
560nm58.0%
580nm59.3%
589nm59.8%
600nm60.5%
620nm61.5%
640nm62.5%
650nm63.0%
660nm63.6%
680nm64.6%
700nm65.8%


Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 65.8%.
Colour in reflected light:
White
Pleochroism:
Weak
Comments:
White to slightly bluish white

Chemistry of ShosanbetsuiteHide

Mindat Formula:
Ag3Sn
Element Weights:
Element% weight
Ag73.162 %
Sn26.838 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.

Crystallography of ShosanbetsuiteHide

Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm(2/m2/m2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:
Pmmn
Setting:
Pmmn
Cell Parameters:
a = 5.986(8) Å, b = 4.779(3) Å, c = 5.156(6) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.253 : 1 : 1.079
Unit Cell V:
147.50 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic ModeEarliest Age (Ga)
High-? alteration and/or metamorphism
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12])

Type Occurrence of ShosanbetsuiteHide

General Appearance of Type Material:
Forming a network around grains of yuanjiangite. The thickness is ~4 μm maximum.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Type material is deposited in the mineralogical collections of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan, specimen number NSM-M46178 (holotype) and M46179 (cotype).
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Placer gold and platinum–group minerals.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Synonyms of ShosanbetsuiteHide

Other Language Names for ShosanbetsuiteHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

1.AD.AurihydrargyrumiteAu6Hg5Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P63/mcm
1.AD.05Native MercuryHgAmor.
1.AD.10BelendorffiteCu7Hg6Trig. 3m : R3m
1.AD.10KolymiteCu7Hg6Iso.
1.AD.15aParaschachneriteAg3Hg2Orth.
1.AD.15cEugeniteAg11Hg2Iso. 43m : I43m
1.AD.15bLuanheiteAg3HgHex.
1.AD.15aSchachneriteAg1.1Hg0.9Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P63/mmc
1.AD.15dMoschellandsbergiteAg2Hg3Iso. m3m(4/m32/m)
1.AD.20b'Goldamalgam (of Chen et al.)'(Au,Ag)HgIso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Im3m
1.AD.20aWeishanite(Au,Ag,Hg)Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P63/mmc
1.AD.20c'Yiyangite'Au3HgHex.
1.AD.25PotaritePdHgTet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : P4/mmm
1.AD.30LeadamalgamPb0.7Hg0.3Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : I4/mmm
1.AD.40'Unnamed (Au-Hg Amalgam)'Au2HgHex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P63/mcm

Other InformationHide

Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for ShosanbetsuiteHide

References for ShosanbetsuiteHide

Localities for ShosanbetsuiteHide

Showing 1 localities.

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.
Hide all sections | Show all sections

Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed. - This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. - Good crystals or important locality for species. - World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Japan (TL)
 
  • Hokkaidō Prefecture
    • Rumoi Subprefecture
      • Tomamae District
        • Shosanbetsu
Miyawaki et al. (2019) +1 other reference
 
and/or  
Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: September 1, 2026 07:59:20 Page updated: June 22, 2026 11:50:34
Go to top of page