Antimony - Encyclopedia
Class : Elements
Subclass : Metalloids
Crystal System : Rhombohedral
Chemistry : Sb
Rarity : Rare
Antimony is a rare mineral in hydrothermal antimony and nickel-cobalt-silver veins. Frequently containing arsenic, it is found in its native state, in granular or lamellar masses, rarely botryoidal or hilly, sometimes imposing : 135 kg at Erskin Creek (California). Its name comes either from the Arabic al uthmund, or from the Latin antimonium applied to the stibine by Constantinius Africanus (around 1050). The crystals are very rare, pseudocubic, or thick tabular on {0001}, frequently rounded, not exceeding 15 mm. Antimony has a metallic luster and a pewter-white color taking on a yellowish reflection by weathering. On the surface, antimony easily deteriorates into valentinite and other white antimony oxides. Its rarity prevents it from significant industrial use; however, it may have been a very occasional antimony ore.
Antimony in the World
Twinning
Twins on {01-14} and commonly forms fourlings, sixlings and polysynthetic twins.
Fakes and treatments
No fake identified for this mineral species.
Hardness : 3 to 3.5
Density : 6.6 to 6.7
Fracture : Irregular
Trace : Gray
TP : Opaque
RI : -
Birefringence : -
Optical character : -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : Nitric acid
Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None