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The mineralogy of Bismuth

General Properties
Symbol:	Bi
Atomic Number:	83
Standard atomic weight (A_r):	208.98040(1)
Electron configuration:	[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³

Photos

<	Artificially grown bismuth crystal illustrating the stairstep crystal structure	>

Atomic Properties
Electronegativity (Pauling scale):	2.02
Atomic Radius:	143 pm
Ionic Radius:	103 pm (+3)
1st Ionization energy:	703 kJ/mol
1st Electron affinity:	-91 kJ/mol
Oxidation States:	-3,3,5

Physical Properties
Standard State:	solid
Bonding Type:	metallic
Melting Point:	544 K
Boiling Point:	1837 K
Density:	9.78 g/cm³
Metal/Non-Metal:	metal

Main isotopes of Bismuth
Isotope	% in Nature	Half Life	Decay type	Decay product
²⁰⁷Bi	synthetic	31.55y	β+	²⁰⁷Pb
²⁰⁸Bi	synthetic	3.68×10⁵y	β+	²⁰⁸Pb
²⁰⁹Bi	100%	1.9×10¹⁹y	α	²⁰⁵Tl
²¹⁰Bi	trace	5.012d	β−	²¹⁰Po
²¹⁰Bi	trace	5.012d	α	²⁰⁶Tl

Main ions of Bismuth
Name	Ion	Example minerals
bismuth(III)	Bi³⁺	Bismuthinite
bismuth(V)	Bi⁵⁺
bismuthide	Bi^3-

Other Information
Year Discovered:	1753
Discovered By:	Claude François Geoffroy
Named For:	German: Wismuth - "white mass"
CPK color coding:	#9E4FB5
External Links:	Wikipedia WebElements Los Alamos National Laboratory Theodore Gray's PeriodicTable.com

Simple Compounds and Mineral Names
Sulfides	dibismuth trisulfide	Bi₂S₃	+3	Bismuthinite
Sulfides	tetrabismuth trisulfide	Bi₄S₃		Ikunolite
Selenides	bismuth selenide	BiSe		Nevskite
Selenides	dibismuth triselenide	Bi₂Se₃	+3	Guanajuatite, Paraguanajuatite
Tellurides	bismuth telluride	BiTe		Tsumoite
	dibismuth tritelluride	Bi₂Te₃	+3	Tellurobismuthite
	tetrabismuth tritelluride	Bi₄Te₃		Pilsenite
	heptabismuth tritelluride	Bi₇Te₃		Hedleyite
Hydrides	bismuth trihydride	BiH₃	+3
Hydroxides	bismuth hydroxide	Bi(OH)₃	+3
Fluorides	bismuth trifluoride	BiF₃	+3	Gananite
	bismuth pentafluoride	BiF₅	+5
	bismuth oxyfluoride	BiOF	+3	Zavaritskite
Chlorides	bismuth trichloride	BiCl₃	+3
Chlorides	bismuth oxychloride	BiOCl	+3	Bismoclite
Iodides	bismuth triiodide	BiI₃
Oxides	dibismuth trioxide	Bi₂O₃	+3	Bismite, Sphaerobismoite
Carbonates	bismuth subcarbonate	Bi₂CO₃O₂	+3	Bismutite
Phosphates	bismuth phosphate	BiPO₄	+3	Ximengite
Arsenates	bismuth arsenate	BiAsO₄	+3	Rooseveltite, Tetrarooseveltite
Vanadates	bismuth vanadate	BiVO₄	+3	, Clinobisvanite, Dreyerite, Pucherite
Molybdates	dibismuth molybdate	Bi₂MoO₆		Koechlinite
Tungstates	bismuth tungstate	Bi₂WO₆	+3	Russellite
Niobates/Tantalates	bismuth niobate	BiNbO₄		Bismutocolumbite
Niobates/Tantalates	bismuth tantalate	BiTaO₄		Bismutotantalite
Silicates	bismuth silicate	Bi₄(SiO₄)₃	+3	Eulytine

Mineral Diversity of Bismuth
1. Elements	2 valid mineral species
2. Sulfides And Sulfosalts	151 valid mineral species
3. Halides	5 valid mineral species
4. Oxides	24 valid mineral species
5. Carbonates	3 valid mineral species
7. Sulfates	16 valid mineral species
8. Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates	37 valid mineral species
9. Silicates	2 valid mineral species
Total:	240 valid species containing essential Bismuth

Geochemistry of Bismuth
Goldschmidt classification:	Chalcophile
Bi³⁺ is concentrated in residual soils and sediments (less certainty.)
Bi^2- forms minerals with Au⁺.
Bi^3- forms minerals with Au⁺.

Elemental Bismuth in Nature
Found as native element:	Bismuth	Bi

Elemental Abundance for Bismuth
Crust (CRC Handbook)	8.5 x 10^-9	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Kaye & Laby)	4 x 10^-9	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Greenwood)	8 x 10^-9	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Taylor)	6.0 x 10^-8	mass fraction, kg/kg
Upper Crust (Ahrens/Taylor)	1.27 x 10^-7	mass fraction, kg/kg
Sea Water (CRC Handbook)	2 x 10^-11	mass per volume fraction, kg/L
Sea Water (Kaye & Laby)	2 x 10^-11	mass per volume fraction, kg/L
Solar System (Kaye & Laby)	1.4 x 10^-7	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Ahrens)	1.44 x 10^-7 (8.2%)	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1 (% uncertainty)

Element association of Bismuth in the Mineral World
This table compares the known valid mineral species listed listed with Bismuth and the other elements listed based on the official IMA formula. Note that unlike other sections on this page this includes non-essential elements. The first data column contains the total number of minerals listed with Bismuth and the element listed for that row. The second data column lists this number as a percentage of all minerals listed with Bismuth. The final data column compares this percentage against the percentage of all minerals that contain the element listed in each row. Click on a heading to sort.

Element	Valid Minerals listed with element and Bismuth	% of Bi minerals	Relative to % in all minerals
Sulfur	129 minerals with Bi and S	51.39%	133.52% higher
Lead	96 minerals with Bi and Pb	38.25%	262.30% higher
Oxygen	84 minerals with Bi and O	33.47%	58.80% lower
Copper	68 minerals with Bi and Cu	27.09%	99.35% higher
Hydrogen	44 minerals with Bi and H	17.53%	68.81% lower
Tellurium	43 minerals with Bi and Te	17.13%	396.98% higher
Silver	41 minerals with Bi and Ag	16.33%	326.68% higher
Selenium	33 minerals with Bi and Se	13.15%	398.94% higher
Arsenic	25 minerals with Bi and As	9.96%	23.05% lower
Antimony	24 minerals with Bi and Sb	9.56%	70.70% higher
Iron	19 minerals with Bi and Fe	7.57%	66.93% lower
Palladium	14 minerals with Bi and Pd	5.58%	295.95% higher
Phosphorus	12 minerals with Bi and P	4.78%	61.43% lower
Chlorine	11 minerals with Bi and Cl	4.38%	40.84% lower
Nickel	9 minerals with Bi and Ni	3.59%	4.52% higher
Vanadium	8 minerals with Bi and V	3.19%	33.68% lower
Molybdenum	8 minerals with Bi and Mo	3.19%	109.04% higher
Uranium	7 minerals with Bi and U	2.79%	45.89% lower
Platinum	6 minerals with Bi and Pt	2.39%	206.89% higher
Gold	5 minerals with Bi and Au	1.99%	193.17% higher
Sodium	5 minerals with Bi and Na	1.99%	89.56% lower
Cobalt	4 minerals with Bi and Co	1.59%	23.28% higher
Fluorine	4 minerals with Bi and F	1.59%	80.25% lower
Mercury	4 minerals with Bi and Hg	1.59%	11.78% lower
Tantalum	4 minerals with Bi and Ta	1.59%	31.73% higher
Calcium	4 minerals with Bi and Ca	1.59%	93.71% lower
Tin	3 minerals with Bi and Sn	1.20%	36.74% lower
Silicon	3 minerals with Bi and Si	1.20%	95.69% lower
Carbon	3 minerals with Bi and C	1.20%	85.31% lower
Nitrogen	2 minerals with Bi and N	0.80%	68.78% lower
Chromium	2 minerals with Bi and Cr	0.80%	56.29% lower
Thallium	2 minerals with Bi and Tl	0.80%	47.17% lower
Indium	2 minerals with Bi and In	0.80%	182.82% higher
Cadmium	2 minerals with Bi and Cd	0.80%	50.25% higher
Iridium	2 minerals with Bi and Ir	0.80%	92.32% higher
Potassium	2 minerals with Bi and K	0.80%	92.07% lower
Niobium	2 minerals with Bi and Nb	0.80%	73.87% lower
Tungsten	1 mineral with Bi and W	0.40%	55.48% lower
Magnesium	1 mineral with Bi and Mg	0.40%	97.10% lower
Aluminium	1 mineral with Bi and Al	0.40%	98.02% lower
Manganese	1 mineral with Bi and Mn	0.40%	96.65% lower
Iodine	1 mineral with Bi and I	0.40%	24.88% lower
Bromine	1 mineral with Bi and Br	0.40%	33.55% higher

Periodic Table

2He

3Li

4Be

Show/hide current element

Default Categories CPK Electronegativity Atomic Radius Lowest Oxidation Highest Oxidation Crustal Abundance Goldschmidt Mineral Species Minerals with Bi Relative Frequency

Lead << Bismuth >> Polonium

Most widespread minerals containing Bismuth
This list of minerals containing Bismuth is built from the mindat.org locality database. This is based on the number of localities entered for mineral species and is therefore slanted towards minerals interesting to collectors with less coverage of common rock-forming-minerals so it does not give an undistorted distribution of Bismuth mineral species. It is more useful when comparing rare species rather than common species.

Most widespread minerals containing Bismuth

This list of minerals containing Bismuth is built from the mindat.org locality database. This is based on the number of localities entered for mineral species and is therefore slanted towards minerals interesting to collectors with less coverage of common rock-forming-minerals so it does not give an undistorted distribution of Bismuth mineral species. It is more useful when comparing rare species rather than common species.

Name	Formula	Crystal System	Mindat Localities
Bismuth	Bi	Trigonal	2373
Bismuthinite	Bi₂S₃	Orthorhombic	2349
Bismutite	(BiO)₂CO₃	Orthorhombic	859
Tetradymite	Bi₂Te₂S	Trigonal	661
Cosalite	Pb₂Bi₂S₅	Orthorhombic	426
Aikinite	PbCuBiS₃	Orthorhombic	417
Wittichenite	Cu₃BiS₃	Orthorhombic	400
Tellurobismuthite	Bi₂Te₃	Trigonal	381
Matildite	AgBiS₂	Trigonal	336
Emplectite	CuBiS₂	Orthorhombic	305

Photos
Bismuth Schneeberg, Erzgebirgskreis, Saxony, Germany Bismuthinite Barbora adit, Knöttel area, Krupka, Teplice District, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic Bismutite Hohenstein, Reichenbach, Lautertal, Bergstraße, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany Tetradymite Pod Angleta, Župkov occurrences, Župkov, Žarnovica District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia Bismuth Schneeberg, Erzgebirgskreis, Saxony, Germany Bismuthinite Barbora adit, Knöttel area, Krupka, Teplice District, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic Bismutite Hohenstein, Reichenbach, Lautertal, Bergstraße, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany Tetradymite Pod Angleta, Župkov occurrences, Župkov, Žarnovica District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia Bismuth Schneeberg, Erzgebirgskreis, Saxony, Germany Bismuthinite Barbora adit, Knöttel area, Krupka, Teplice District, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic Bismutite Hohenstein, Reichenbach, Lautertal, Bergstraße, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany Tetradymite Pod Angleta, Župkov occurrences, Župkov, Žarnovica District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia

Photos

Bismuth

Schneeberg, Erzgebirgskreis, Saxony, Germany

Bismuthinite

Barbora adit, Knöttel area, Krupka, Teplice District, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic

Bismutite

Hohenstein, Reichenbach, Lautertal, Bergstraße, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany

Tetradymite

Pod Angleta, Župkov occurrences, Župkov, Žarnovica District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia

Bismuth

Schneeberg, Erzgebirgskreis, Saxony, Germany

Bismuthinite

Barbora adit, Knöttel area, Krupka, Teplice District, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic

Bismutite

Hohenstein, Reichenbach, Lautertal, Bergstraße, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany

Tetradymite

Pod Angleta, Župkov occurrences, Župkov, Žarnovica District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia

Bismuth

Schneeberg, Erzgebirgskreis, Saxony, Germany

Bismuthinite

Barbora adit, Knöttel area, Krupka, Teplice District, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic

Bismutite

Hohenstein, Reichenbach, Lautertal, Bergstraße, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany

Tetradymite

Pod Angleta, Župkov occurrences, Župkov, Žarnovica District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia

Localities with greatest number of different Bismuth mineral species

1	Băiţa mining district, Nucet, Bihor County, Romania	36 Bi minerals
2	Dolomitic marble quarry, Rędziny, Gmina Kamienna Góra, Kamienna Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland	35 Bi minerals
3	Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Ortenaukreis, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany	34 Bi minerals
4	Szklarska Poręba Huta granite quarry, Szklarska Poręba, Karkonosze County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland	32 Bi minerals
5	Western ore field, Mittersill Scheelite deposit, Mittersill, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria	30 Bi minerals
	Ohari mine (Obari mine), Yamagata Prefecture, Japan	27 Bi minerals
7	Yugo-Konevo W deposit, Kaslinsky District, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia	26 Bi minerals
	Porokhovskoe W deposit, Kaslinsky District, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia	26 Bi minerals

Important ores of Bismuth

Name	Formula	Crystal System
Bismuthinite	Bi₂S₃	Orthorhombic

Photos
Bismuthinite, etc. Greisen outcrop, Dlhá Valley, Gemerská Poloma, Rožňava District, Košice Region, Slovakia Bismuthinite Julcani Mine, Julcani District, Angaraes Province, Huancavelica, Peru Bismuthinite Kingsgate, Gough Co., New South Wales, Australia Bismuthinite Shepherd and Murphy Mine, Moina - Middlesex District, Kentish municipality, Tasmania, Australia Bismuthinite, etc. Greisen outcrop, Dlhá Valley, Gemerská Poloma, Rožňava District, Košice Region, Slovakia Bismuthinite Julcani Mine, Julcani District, Angaraes Province, Huancavelica, Peru Bismuthinite Kingsgate, Gough Co., New South Wales, Australia Bismuthinite Shepherd and Murphy Mine, Moina - Middlesex District, Kentish municipality, Tasmania, Australia Bismuthinite, etc. Greisen outcrop, Dlhá Valley, Gemerská Poloma, Rožňava District, Košice Region, Slovakia Bismuthinite Julcani Mine, Julcani District, Angaraes Province, Huancavelica, Peru Bismuthinite Kingsgate, Gough Co., New South Wales, Australia Bismuthinite Shepherd and Murphy Mine, Moina - Middlesex District, Kentish municipality, Tasmania, Australia

Photos

Bismuthinite, etc.

Greisen outcrop, Dlhá Valley, Gemerská Poloma, Rožňava District, Košice Region, Slovakia

Bismuthinite

Julcani Mine, Julcani District, Angaraes Province, Huancavelica, Peru

Bismuthinite

Kingsgate, Gough Co., New South Wales, Australia

Bismuthinite

Shepherd and Murphy Mine, Moina - Middlesex District, Kentish municipality, Tasmania, Australia

Bismuthinite, etc.

Greisen outcrop, Dlhá Valley, Gemerská Poloma, Rožňava District, Košice Region, Slovakia

Bismuthinite

Julcani Mine, Julcani District, Angaraes Province, Huancavelica, Peru

Bismuthinite

Kingsgate, Gough Co., New South Wales, Australia

Bismuthinite

Shepherd and Murphy Mine, Moina - Middlesex District, Kentish municipality, Tasmania, Australia

Bismuthinite, etc.

Greisen outcrop, Dlhá Valley, Gemerská Poloma, Rožňava District, Košice Region, Slovakia

Bismuthinite

Julcani Mine, Julcani District, Angaraes Province, Huancavelica, Peru

Bismuthinite

Kingsgate, Gough Co., New South Wales, Australia

Bismuthinite

Shepherd and Murphy Mine, Moina - Middlesex District, Kentish municipality, Tasmania, Australia

Spotted a mistake/omission? - These pages are a work in progress, so please send all comments/corrections to jolyon@mindat.org. Thank you.

Constants and physical property data from:

David R. Lide (ed.), CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 85th Edition. CRC Press. Boca Raton, Florida (2005).
Kaye and Laby Tables of Physical & Chemical Constants (2005). Section 3.1.3, Abundances of the elements
A. Earnshaw, N. Greenwood, Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd edition, Butterworth-Heinemann, (1997)
Thomas J. Ahrens (ed.), Global Earth Physics : A Handbook of Physical Constants, American Geophysical Union (1995)
L.B. Railsback, An Earth Scientist's Periodic Table of the Elements and Their Ions : Geology 31:9 p737-740 (2003)
Emsley, J. Nature's Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. New York: Oxford University Press (2001)

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