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Stibnite

This page kindly sponsored by Ruggy Holloway
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Stibnite

Puits St. Paul, Nades, Vichy, Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
04564620014947133123118.jpg
Stibnite

Herja Mine, Chiuzbaia, Baia Mare, Maramureș, Romania
01628590014976478674482.jpg
Stibnite

Herja Mine, Chiuzbaia, Baia Mare, Maramureș, Romania
05042770014946611536496.jpg
Stibnite

Puits St. Paul, Nades, Vichy, Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
06537710014994502924493.jpg
Stibnite

Herja Mine, Chiuzbaia, Baia Mare, Maramureș, Romania
07758790014946611533538.jpg
Stibnite

Herja Mine, Chiuzbaia, Baia Mare, Maramureș, Romania
05042770014946611536496.jpg
Stibnite

Puits St. Paul, Nades, Vichy, Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
07813450014977226264390.jpg
Stibnite

Herja Mine, Chiuzbaia, Baia Mare, Maramureș, Romania
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About StibniteHide

Formula:
Sb2S3
Colour:
Lead-gray with pale blue tint
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
2
Specific Gravity:
4.63
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Member of:
Stibnite Group
Name:
Renamed in 1832 by François Sulpice Beudant. According to Dioscorides, the original Greek names for the mineral were Στιβι "stibi", Στιμμι "stimmi", and Πλατνόπθαλμου. The former name became the Latin "stibium" and the old name for the element antimony (Sb). Named spiessglas in 1430 by Basil Valentine who showed the mineral contained sulphur. Also known as antimony glance, antimonite, and stibine.
Dimorph of:
Metastibnite
Bismuthinite-Stibnite Series. Possibly also polymorphous with UM1996-35-S:Sb.

The most common antimony sulphide. An important Sb ore mineral.


Classification of StibniteHide

IMA status:
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
Strunz 8th ed.:
2/D.08-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) ed.:
2.DB.05

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
D : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 3 :4 and 2:3
B : M:S = 2:3
Dana 8th ed.:
2.11.2.1

2 : SULFIDES
11 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 2:3
Hey's CIM Ref.:
3.7.14

3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
7 : Sulphides etc. of V, As, Sb and Bi

Physical Properties of StibniteHide

Lustre:
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Lead-gray with pale blue tint
Streak:
Lead grey
Hardness:
2 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=71 - 86 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Comment:
VHN on (010) section
Tenacity:
Flexible
Cleavage:
Perfect
Perfect on {010}, imperfect on {100}{110}
Fracture:
Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
4.63 g/cm3 (Measured)    4.625 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of StibniteHide

Anisotropism:
Strong
Reflectivity:
400nmR1=31.1%R2= 53.3%
420nmR1=30.8%R2= 53.2%
440nmR1=30.6%R2= 53.0%
460nmR1=30.7%R2= 52.8%
480nmR1=31.0%R2= 52.2%
500nmR1=31.2%R2= 51.1%
520nmR1=31.4%R2= 49.7%
540nmR1=31.2%R2= 48.5%
560nmR1=30.8%R2= 47.2%
580nmR1=30.3%R2= 45.8%
600nmR1=29.7%R2= 44.5%
620nmR1=29.3%R2= 43.5%
640nmR1=29.2%R2= 42.6%
660nmR1=29.4%R2= 41.8%
680nmR1=29.6%R2= 41.1%
700nmR1=29.4%R2= 40.3%

Reflectance graph
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 53.3%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Colour in reflected light:
white

Chemical Properties of StibniteHide

Formula:
Sb2S3
Elements listed:
S, Sb - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of StibniteHide

Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Cell Parameters:
a = 11.229 Å, b = 11.31 Å, c = 3.8389 Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.993 : 1 : 0.339
Unit Cell V:
487.54 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Slender to stout crystals
Twinning:
Rare {130}{120}{310}

Crystallographic forms of StibniteHide

Crystal Atlas:
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Stibnite no.9 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Stibnite no.10 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Stibnite no.12 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Stibnite no.31 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Stibnite no.55 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Stibnite no.110 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Stibnite no.115 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by www.smorf.nl.

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IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0003549StibniteKyono A, Kimata M (2004) Structural variations induced by difference of the inert pair effect in the stibnite-bismuthinite solid solution series (Sb,Bi)2S3 Sample #1 American Mineralogist 89 932-94020040293
0003550StibniteKyono A, Kimata M (2004) Structural variations induced by difference of the inert pair effect in the stibnite-bismuthinite solid solution series (Sb,Bi)2S3 Sample #2 American Mineralogist 89 932-94020040293
0003551StibniteKyono A, Kimata M (2004) Structural variations induced by difference of the inert pair effect in the stibnite-bismuthinite solid solution series (Sb,Bi)2S3 Sample #3 American Mineralogist 89 932-94020040293
0003552StibniteKyono A, Kimata M (2004) Structural variations induced by difference of the inert pair effect in the stibnite-bismuthinite solid solution series (Sb,Bi)2S3 Sample #4 American Mineralogist 89 932-94020040293
0003553StibniteKyono A, Kimata M (2004) Structural variations induced by difference of the inert pair effect in the stibnite-bismuthinite solid solution series (Sb,Bi)2S3 American Mineralogist 89 932-94020040293
0003554StibniteKyono A, Kimata M (2004) Structural variations induced by difference of the inert pair effect in the stibnite-bismuthinite solid solution series (Sb,Bi)2S3 American Mineralogist 89 932-94020040293
0003555StibniteKyono A, Kimata M (2004) Structural variations induced by difference of the inert pair effect in the stibnite-bismuthinite solid solution series (Sb,Bi)2S3 American Mineralogist 89 932-94020040293
0003556StibniteKyono A, Kimata M (2004) Structural variations induced by difference of the inert pair effect in the stibnite-bismuthinite solid solution series (Sb,Bi)2S3 American Mineralogist 89 932-94020040293
0003557StibniteKyono A, Kimata M (2004) Structural variations induced by difference of the inert pair effect in the stibnite-bismuthinite solid solution series (Sb,Bi)2S3 American Mineralogist 89 932-94020040293
0008633StibniteKyono A, Kimata M, Matsuhisa M, Miyashita Y, Okamoto K (2002) Low-temperature crystal structures of stibnite implying orbital overlap of Sb 5s2 inert pair electrons Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 29 254-26020020293
0008634StibniteKyono A, Kimata M, Matsuhisa M, Miyashita Y, Okamoto K (2002) Low-temperature crystal structures of stibnite implying orbital overlap of Sb 5s2 inert pair electrons Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 29 254-26020020293
0008635StibniteKyono A, Kimata M, Matsuhisa M, Miyashita Y, Okamoto K (2002) Low-temperature crystal structures of stibnite implying orbital overlap of Sb 5s2 inert pair electrons Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 29 254-26020020293
0008636StibniteKyono A, Kimata M, Matsuhisa M, Miyashita Y, Okamoto K (2002) Low-temperature crystal structures of stibnite implying orbital overlap of Sb 5s2 inert pair electrons Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 29 254-26020020293
0008825StibniteLundegaard L F, Miletich R, Balic-Zunic T, Makovicky E (2003) Equation of state and crystal structure of Sb2S3 between 0 and 10 GPa Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 30 463-46820030.0001293
0008826StibniteLundegaard L F, Miletich R, Balic-Zunic T, Makovicky E (2003) Equation of state and crystal structure of Sb2S3 between 0 and 10 GPa Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 30 463-46820031.115293
0008827StibniteLundegaard L F, Miletich R, Balic-Zunic T, Makovicky E (2003) Equation of state and crystal structure of Sb2S3 between 0 and 10 GPa Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 30 463-46820031.591293
0008828StibniteLundegaard L F, Miletich R, Balic-Zunic T, Makovicky E (2003) Equation of state and crystal structure of Sb2S3 between 0 and 10 GPa Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 30 463-46820032.118293
0008829StibniteLundegaard L F, Miletich R, Balic-Zunic T, Makovicky E (2003) Equation of state and crystal structure of Sb2S3 between 0 and 10 GPa Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 30 463-46820033.235293
0008830StibniteLundegaard L F, Miletich R, Balic-Zunic T, Makovicky E (2003) Equation of state and crystal structure of Sb2S3 between 0 and 10 GPa Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 30 463-46820037.406293
0008831StibniteLundegaard L F, Miletich R, Balic-Zunic T, Makovicky E (2003) Equation of state and crystal structure of Sb2S3 between 0 and 10 GPa Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 30 463-46820037.832293
0008966StibniteCaracas R, Gonze X (2005) First-principles study of the electronic properties of A2B3 minerals, with A=Bi,Sb and B=S,Se Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 32 295-30020050293
0010513StibniteHofmann W (1933) Die struktur der minerale der animonitgruppe Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 86 225-24519330293
0010587StibniteScavnicar S (1960) The crystal structure of stibnite. A redetermination of atomic positions Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 114 85-971960synthetic0293
0010729StibniteBayliss P, Nowacki W (1972) Refinement of the crystal structure of stibnite, Sb2S3 Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 135 308-31519720293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
5.052 Å(55)
3.573 Å(65)
3.556 Å(70)
3.053 Å(95)
2.764 Å(100)
2.680 Å(50)
2.525 Å(45)

Synonyms of StibniteHide

Other Language Names for StibniteHide

Varieties of StibniteHide

Relationship of Stibnite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:
Stibnite Group
Other Members of this group:
AntimonseliteSb2Se3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
BismuthiniteBi2S3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
GuanajuatiteBi2Se3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
Forms a series with:
BismuthiniteBismuthinite-Stibnite Series

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
746 photos of Stibnite associated with CalciteCaCO3
666 photos of Stibnite associated with QuartzSiO2
447 photos of Stibnite associated with BaryteBaSO4
177 photos of Stibnite associated with SideriteFeCO3
128 photos of Stibnite associated with StibiconiteSb3+Sb5+2O6(OH)
120 photos of Stibnite associated with Plumosite
103 photos of Stibnite associated with MarcasiteFeS2
101 photos of Stibnite associated with PyriteFeS2
100 photos of Stibnite associated with FluoriteCaF2
95 photos of Stibnite associated with DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz GroupingHide

2.DB.05AntimonseliteSb2Se3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.DB.05BismuthiniteBi2S3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.DB.05GuanajuatiteBi2Se3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
2.DB.05MetastibniteSb2S3Amor.
2.DB.05PääkköneniteSb2AsS2Mon. 2/m : B2/m
2.DB.10OttemanniteSn2S3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.DB.10SuredaitePbSnS3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.DB.15Bowieite(Rh,Ir,Pt)2S3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.DB.15Kashinite(Ir,Rh)2S3Orth.
2.DB.20Montbrayite(Au,Ag,Sb,Bi,Pb)23(Te,Sb,Bi,Pb)38Tric.
2.DB.25EdgariteFeNb3S6Hex. 6 : P63
2.DB.30Tarkianite(Cu,Fe)(Re,Mo)4S8Iso. 4 3m
2.DB.35CameroniteCu5-x(Cu,Ag)3+xTe10 (x = 0.43)Mon. 2/m : B2/b

Related Minerals - Dana Grouping (8th Ed.)Hide

2.11.2.2AntimonseliteSb2Se3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.11.2.3BismuthiniteBi2S3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.11.2.4GuanajuatiteBi2Se3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma

Related Minerals - Hey's Chemical Index of Minerals GroupingHide

3.7.1PatróniteVS4Mon.
3.7.2DuranusiteAs4SOrth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pmna
3.7.3DimorphiteAs4S3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
3.7.4RealgarAs4S4Mon. 2/m
3.7.5PararealgarAs4S4Mon. 2/m : P21/b
3.7.6AlacrániteAs8S9Mon. 2/m : P2/b
3.7.7UzoniteAs4S5Mon.
3.7.8OrpimentAs2S3Mon. 2/m
3.7.9JeromiteAmor.
3.7.10LaphamiteAs2Se3Mon. 2/m
3.7.11GetchelliteAsSbS3Mon. 2/m : P21/b
3.7.12Wakabayashilite[(As,Sb)6S9][As4S5]Orth. mm2 : Pna21
3.7.13PääkköneniteSb2AsS2Mon. 2/m : B2/m
3.7.15MetastibniteSb2S3Amor.
3.7.16TellurantimonySb2Te3Trig.
3.7.17BismuthiniteBi2S3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
3.7.18NevskiteBi(Se,S)Trig.
3.7.19GuanajuatiteBi2Se3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
3.7.21IkunoliteBi4(S,Se)3Trig.
3.7.22LaitakariteBi4Se2STrig. 3m : R3m
3.7.23PoubaitePbBi2(Se,Te,S)4Trig.
3.7.24TellurobismuthiteBi2Te3Trig.
3.7.25SoučekitePbCuBi(S,Se)3Orth.
3.7.26TsumoiteBiTeTrig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3 1m
3.7.27PilseniteBi4Te3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m
3.7.28HedleyiteBi7Te3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m
3.7.29TetradymiteBi2Te2STrig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m
3.7.30JoséiteBi4TeS2Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m
3.7.31Joséite-BBi4Te2STrig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m
3.7.32IngoditeBi2TeSTrig.
3.7.33SulphotsumoiteBi3Te2STrig.
3.7.34KawazuliteBi2Te2SeTrig.
3.7.36SkippeniteBi2TeSe2Trig.
3.7.37KochkaritePbBi4Te7Trig.
3.7.38RucklidgeitePbBi2Te4Trig.
3.7.39AleksitePbBi2Te2S2Trig.
3.7.40JunoiteCu2Pb3Bi8(S,Se)16Mon. 2/m : B2/m

Other InformationHide

Thermal Behaviour:
Melts at 546°C
Special Storage/
Display Requirements:
Stibnite is a very soft delicate mineral and should be kept in a container with a very soft cushion like cotton and not allowed to rub up against the sides of the box. Stibnite is a bit like graphite in that it will leave a streak when rubbed against paper. Over a period of many years, brilliant surfaces of freshly mined stibnite will become less shiny.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for StibniteHide

Reference List:
Sort by Year (asc) | by Year (desc) | by Author (A-Z) | by Author (Z-A)
Dana (1883) American Journal of Science: 26: 214.
Tokody (1937-38) Ann. Mus. Hungarici, Pars. Min.: 31: 165.
Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944) The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 270-275.
Zeitschrift für Kristallographie (1972) 135: 308-315.
McKee D.D., McMullen J.T. (1976) Zeitschrift für Kristallographie: 142: 447.
Kyono, A., Kimata, M., Matsuhisa, M., Miyashita, Y. and Okamoto, K. (2002) Low-temperature crystal structures of stibnite implying orbital overlap of Sb 5s2 inert pair electrons. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 29, 254–260.
Kyono, A., Kimata, M. (2004) Structural variations induced by difference of the inert pair effect in the stibnite-bismuthinite solid solution series (Sb,Bi)2S3. American Mineralogist 89, 932-940.
Kuze, S., Du Boulay, D., Ishizawa, N., Saiki, A. and Pring, A. (2004) X-ray diffraction evidence for a monoclinic form of stibnite, Sb2S3, below 290 K. American Mineralogist, 89, 1022–1025.

Internet Links for StibniteHide

Localities for StibniteHide

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