Manganese is a very shiny metal, which slowly tarnishes in air. Here, a sample of manganese is shown, which is from a larger piece of manganese. The right piece shows a tarnished black surface at the front side, the remaining part of the sample is beautifully shiny and reflective. The dark part of the sample has been exposed to air for a long time, while the rest of the sample is only exposed to air recently. This is a sample of 25 grams total, each piece of metal having a size of approximately 2 cm along its longest diameter.

Very pure forms of manganese can be obtained electrolytically. This form of manganese can be recognized because it comes in the form of scales, with one side being covered by little globules. The sample below shows some of this very pure manganese. One side of each of the scales is very smooth and shiny, the other side is covered by little globules, which in turn are dark, due to some oxidation.