Livingstonite - Encyclopedia
Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
Subclass : Sulfosalts
Crystal system : Monoclinic
Chemistry : HgSb4S8
Rarity : Very rare
Livingstonite is a very rare mercury and antimony sulfosalt from low temperature hydrothermal veins, where it is associated with cinnabar, stibnite, calcite, sulphur and gypsum. It was named in honor of David Livingstone, Scottish missionary, explorer of the African continent and ardent opponent of slavery. Livingstonite occurs in needles with perfect cleavage of up to 12 cm, in fibrous, columnar or spheroidal masses or in interlacing fine needles. Blackish gray in color, it is a mineral of low hardness (2) scratched with the nail, with a strong adamantine luster.
Main photo : Livingtonite and cinnabar from Landsberg, Obermoschel, Germany © Joy Desor
Livingstonite in the World
Twinning
No twin known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fakes recorded for this mineral species.
Hardness : 2
Density : 4.88
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : Red
TP : Translucent to opaque
RI : -
Birefringence : -
Optical character : Biaxial -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : Nitric acid
Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None