Cervantite - Encyclopedia
Class : Oxides and hydroxides
Subclass : Oxides
Crystal system : Orthorhombic
Chemistry : Sb2O4
Rarity : Uncommon
Cervantite is a secondary mineral typical of stibnite alteration, known in the surface oxidation zone of antimony deposits. it was named thus in reference to its supposed locality of discovery : Cervantes (Spain). It sometimes appears in prismatic crystals, more commonly in powdery coatings, yellow to yellow-brown, sometimes orange-brown. Its density is high for an antimony mineral (6.5). It is sometimes used as antimony ore, notably in Sensa (Algeria).
Main photo : Cervantite pseudomorph after stibnite from Gallos Mine, Zacatecas, Mexico © John Sobolewski
Cervantite in the World
Twinning and special crystallizations
No twin known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fake identified for this mineral species.
Hardness : 4 to 5
Density : 6.5
Fracture : Irregular
Streak : White to yellow
TP : Translucent
RI : 2.000 to 2.100
Birefringence : 0.100
Optical character : Biaxial
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : -
Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None