Stibnite
“Silver sword crystals of antimony”
Stibnite is an antimony sulfide mineral famous for forming dramatic long, bladed metallic crystals that can reach over half a meter in length. It's the primary ore of antimony — a metalloid used in flame retardants, lead-acid batteries, and as a hardening agent in alloys.
antimony trisulfide (Sb₂S₃)
Ichinokawa Mine (Ehime, Japan — legendary crystals), Xikuangshan (China — world's largest deposit), Kadamzhai (Kyrgyzstan), Mexico, Bolivia
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Ancient Egyptians ground stibnite into a black powder called kohl (or mesdemet) and used it as eye makeup — traces of antimony compounds have been found on cosmetic palettes in tombs dating back 5,000 years.
Test Your Knowledge
Stibnite belongs to which crystal system, reflected in its elongated prismatic habit?
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