ONORATOITE

    Class : Halides
    Subclass : Oxychlorides
    Crystal system : Monoclinic
    Chemistry : Sb8O11Cl2
    Rarity : Very rare


Onoratoite is an extremely rare antimony oxychloride. It is a stibnite oxidation mineral which was named in honor of the Italian mineralogist Ettore Onorato. The onoratoite appears in small white acicular crystals of 5 mm maximum. It is so rare that all its physical parameters are not determined.

Main photo : Omphacite of Iveri, Aosta Valley, Italy © Franco Luca Bonino

Onoratoite in the World

Onoratoite is only known in three deposits including the small antimony mine of Cetine, near Siena (Italy), its type locality, as well as the San José Mine near Oruro (Bolivia) and at the Albert Silver mine (South Africa).

Right photo : Onoratoite from Cetine, Tuscany, Italy © Chris Emproto


Onoratoite in France

The onoratoite is not known in the French underground.

Twinning

No twin known for this mineral species.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes listed for this mineral species.



Hardness : Undetermined
Density : 5.3
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : White


TP : Transparent
RI : Undetermined
Birefringence : Undetermined
Optical character : Biaxial -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None


Solubility : Hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide

Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None