Stibnite: Toxic Beauty

The metal antimony was once called stibium, which is why it is represented by an Sb on the Periodic Table of Elements. Stibnite’s name stems from the fact that it is an ore of antimony.
Stibnite is a steel-gray or lead-gray mineral that has a metallic luster (although it can tarnish, turning black) Stibnite’s crystals are orthorhombic and are usually blade or needle-shaped. Its crystals are slightly flexible so they can be bent or twisted. I wouldn’t do this with any good specimen, but it could be a helpful test to help identify the mineral. Stibnite measures only a 2 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Stibnite is still the main ore of antimony, which has been used since ancient times (though for many years it was confused with lead) Today antimony is mixed with other metals to form alloys that are used as coverings for cables and in car batteries. Stibnite itself is used in the making of matches, percussion caps, and fireworks.
Stibnite is found in places like: Japan, Serbia, Macedonia, Romania, Peru, California, and Nevada.
A final word of caution: stibnite is a poisonous mineral! Antimony is toxic and it imparts this property to its ore. Always wash your hands carefully after handling stibnite. This topic will be discussed further in my next post.