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Elemental Composition (by mass)
| Element | Mass % | Visual |
|---|---|---|
| S Sulfur | 100.00% |
Computed from simplified end-member formula. Solid-solution series, water content, and trace substitutions cause real-world variation.
IMA Abbreviation (Whitney-Evans 2010)
S
→ Sulfur
Native element
Standard symbol from American Mineralogist (Whitney & Evans, 2010). Used in thin-section labeling, phase diagrams, and IMA-style species records.
⏳ Long-term Aging & Care Timeline
thermal expansion crackinginstant
Trigger: thermal shock (body heat)
Intervention: Holding sulfur in hand can crack crystal — coefficient of expansion is high. Handle with gloves or tongs.
Tenacity
Behavior:
brittle
Under stress:
Cracks audibly
When held in hand, sometimes cracks from thermal stress.
Luster
resinous→adamantine
Bright yellow with resinous luster; some crystals adamantine.
Diaphaneity (Transparency)
transparent-to-translucent
Sicilian crystals are transparent gem-quality.
Diagnostic Field Tests
Flame test→ Burns with blue flame; pungent SO₂ smell
Diagnostic. Outdoors only — SO₂ is irritating.
Friction→ Negative charge — picks up tissue paper
Triboelectric effect.
⚠ Use dilute HCl (~10%) only on inconspicuous spots; rinse promptly. Smell-tests should be brief and ventilated. Taste-test ONLY halite/sylvite — never lead, arsenic, or sulfur minerals.
Specific Gravity
2.05–2.09
g/cm³
very light
Native sulfur; brittle, pale yellow.
For comparison: water = 1.00, glass ≈ 2.5, quartz = 2.65, corundum ≈ 4.00, galena ≈ 7.50, gold ≈ 19.3.
Streak Test
pale yellow
Lemon-yellow streak; melts easily.
Streak = color of the powdered mineral. Drag specimen across unglazed white porcelain plate (Mohs 6.5). For minerals harder than the plate, crush a small flake into powder and observe color.
Collector tier: Solid Display
Reliable mid-tier display species. Easy to find in well-formed examples; broad locality diversity.
Mohs 1.5–2.5
Vickers (~) 75 HV
Knoop (~) 85 HK
Nickel–Strunz
1.CC.05Dana
01.03.05.01Geological setting
VolcanicSedimentaryEvaporite
Mohs Hardness
1.5–2.5
Sulfur sits at 1.5–2.5 on the Mohs scale — soft enough to be scratched by a fingernail.
Colors:
Streak
White to pale yellow
White to pale yellow
Crystal system
Orthorhombic
Orthorhombic
Type localityMt. Etna / Sicily volcanic district, Italy
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Discovery Known since antiquity
Native ElementsNative Elements
TL;DR · 1 min read
Native sulfur (S₈) is one of the most visually striking native elements in mineralogy — pure crystals glow vivid lemon-yellow and form sharp dipyramidal forms. Sulfur is found in volcanic vents, fumaroles, hot springs, and sedimentary evaporite deposits where bacterial reduction of sulfates creates pure deposits.
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Native sulfur (S₈) is one of the most visually striking native elements in mineralogy — pure crystals glow vivid lemon-yellow and form sharp dipyramidal forms. Sulfur is found in volcanic vents, fumaroles, hot springs, and sedimentary evaporite deposits where bacterial reduction of sulfates creates pure deposits.
Notable Chinese Localities #
Tengchong volcanic field (Yunnan) is China’s most active sulfur-producing site, with crystals deposited around fumaroles. Specimens are typically smaller than Sicilian but vivid yellow.
Test at home — what scratches what
Will scratch your specimen:
💅 Fingernail (Mohs 2.5) · 🪙 Copper coin (US penny) (Mohs 3.5) · 🔪 Steel pocket knife (soft steel) (Mohs 5) · 🥃 Glass plate (Mohs 5.5) · 🔧 Steel file / hardened steel (Mohs 6.5) · ⚙ Sharp steel needle / quartz scratch (Mohs 7)
💅 Fingernail (Mohs 2.5) · 🪙 Copper coin (US penny) (Mohs 3.5) · 🔪 Steel pocket knife (soft steel) (Mohs 5) · 🥃 Glass plate (Mohs 5.5) · 🔧 Steel file / hardened steel (Mohs 6.5) · ⚙ Sharp steel needle / quartz scratch (Mohs 7)
Your specimen will scratch:
👆 Talc dust (Mohs 1)
👆 Talc dust (Mohs 1)
Always test on an inconspicuous edge first. Save the test for unimportant specimens — better to use a streak plate or knowledge of locality + paragenesis.
Cite this entry
APA
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. (2026). Sulfur. My Mineral Box. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/sulfur/
MLA
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Sulfur." My Mineral Box, 2026, https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/sulfur/. Accessed May 23, 2026.
Chicago
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Sulfur." My Mineral Box. Last modified May 4, 2026. https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/sulfur/.
BibTeX
@misc{mmb_sulfur,
author = {{MyMineralBox Editorial Team}},
title = {{Sulfur}},
year = {2026},
publisher = {My Mineral Box},
url = {https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/sulfur/},
urldate = {2026-05-23}
}
