Valentinite Mineral Data

General Valentinite Information

Chemical Formula:

Sb2O3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 291.50 gm

Antimony 83.53 % Sb 100.00 % Sb₂O₃

Oxygen 16.47 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Sb₂O₃

Environment:

Occurs as an oxidation product of various antimony minerals.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

Chalanches, Allemont, Isï¿½re, France. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the German alchemist, B. Valentinus (16th century).

Name Pronunciation:

Valentinite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Antimony bloom

ICSD 27595

PDF 11-689

Valentinite Image

Images:

Cetineite Valentinite

Comments: Orange-reddish acicular crystals of cetineite with white valentinite.
Location: Cetine di Cotorniano mine (Cetine mine), Rosia, Siena, Tuscany, Italy. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Rosiaite Valentinite

Comments: Beige crystals of rosiaite with a colorless valentinite prism.
Location: Tafone Mine, Manciano, Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Valentinite

Comments: 6mm spray of bladed valentinite crystals on siderite matrix.
Location: Potosi, Bolivia. Scale: Picture size 1.5 cm.
© John Attard

Images:

Valentinite Antimony

Comments: Beige valentinite crystals with red kermesite in a matrix of gray, massive antimony.
Location: South-Ham Antimony mine, Lake Nicolet, Quebec, Canada. Scale: Picture Size 3 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy

Valentinite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.3948:1:0.4349

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.92, b = 12.46, c = 5.42, Z = 4; V = 332.26 Den(Calc)= 5.83

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pccn

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.142(1), 3.118(0.75), 3.494(0.25),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 3 1 0) ( 0 1 0) ( 1 2 2) ( 1 0 0) ( 1 1 0) ( 1 0 2)

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Physical Properties of Valentinite

Cleavage:

{110} Perfect, {010} Distinct

Color:

Brownish reddish, Colorless, Gray white, Grayish, Yellowish.

Density:

5.6 - 5.8, Average = 5.69

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Divergent - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms.

Habit:

Euhedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing good external form.

Habit:

Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Adamantine

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Valentinite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.118 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.093 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2218,KPDmeas= 0.2269,KC= 0.203
Ncalc = 2.14 - 2.18

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=2.18, b=2.35, g=2.35, bire=0.1700

Pleochroism (x):

none.

Pleochroism (y):

none.

Calculated Properties of Valentinite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.04 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Valentinite =5.83 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.000079037
Boson Index = 0.999920963

Photoelectric:

PE_Valentinite= 284.15 barns/electron
U=PE_Valentinite x rElectron Density=1,432.14 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Valentinite is Not Radioactive

Valentinite Classification

Dana Class:

04.03.11.01 (04)Simple Oxides

(04.03)with a cation charge of 3+ (A+++2 O3)

(04.03.11)Dana Group

04.03.11.01 Valentinite Sb2O3 Pccn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

04.CB.55 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.C - Metal:Oxygen = 2:3, 3:5, and Similar

04.CB -With medium-sized cations

04.CB.55 Valentinite Sb2O3 Pccn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Valentinite Information

See Also:

Links to other databases for Valentinite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - HyperPhysics
12 - MinDAT
13 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
14 - Online Mineral Museum
15 - QUT Mineral Atlas
16 - Ruff.Info
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Valentinite Specimen Label here :

Valentinite

Sb2O3
Dana No: 04.03.11.01 Strunz No: 04.CB.55
Locality:

Notes:

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