Valentinite
Encyclopedia
Valentinite is an antimony oxide
mineral with formula Sb
2O
3. Valentinite crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and typically forms as radiating clusters of euhedral
crystals or as fibrous masses. It is colorless to white with occasional shades or tints of yellow and red. It has a Mohs hardness of 2.5 to 3 and a specific gravity
of 5.76. Valentinite occurs as a weathering
product of stibnite
and other antimony minerals. It is dimorphous with the isometric antimony oxide senarmontite.
, a writer on alchemy
. He is the supposed author of the first book to give a detailed description of antimony and its compounds. From the contents of the book it is also obvious that Valentinus was familiar with the synthetic preparation of antimony trioxide
, which was called 'the antimony flower'.
Valentinite was first described in 1845 for an occurrence in the Les Chalanches Mine, Allemont, Isère, Rhône-Alpes
, France
. The first description of its occurrence in the region of Pribram
in Bohemia
comes roughly from the same time. This particular locality at one time produced the very best crystals of this mineral. The largest crystals found there measured up to 3 cm. Grouped in rich druses, they developed in vein
cavities with galena
.
product of hydrothermal antimony bearing veins, where it forms as a seondary mineral through oxidation in the upper parts of the deposits. It occurs associated with stibnite
, native antimony, stibiconite
, cervantite
, kermesite
and tetrahedrite
.
A rich deposit of valentinite has been found in the Constantine
province of Algeria
. This is the only deposit where it is mined as an ore
, with 83% antimony. In all other locations it occurs in negligible quantities.
Antimony trioxide
Antimony trioxide is the inorganic compound with the formula Sb2O3. It is the most important commercial compound of antimony. It is found in nature as the minerals valentinite and senarmontite...
mineral with formula Sb
Antimony
Antimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
2O
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
3. Valentinite crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and typically forms as radiating clusters of euhedral
Euhedral
Euhedral crystals are those that are well-formed with sharp, easily recognised faces. Normally, crystals do not form smooth faces or sharp crystal outlines. Many crystals grow from cooling liquid magma...
crystals or as fibrous masses. It is colorless to white with occasional shades or tints of yellow and red. It has a Mohs hardness of 2.5 to 3 and a specific gravity
Specific gravity
Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance. Apparent specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a volume of the substance to the weight of an equal volume of the reference substance. The reference substance is nearly always water for...
of 5.76. Valentinite occurs as a weathering
Weathering
Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, soils and minerals as well as artificial materials through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, biota and waters...
product of stibnite
Stibnite
Stibnite, sometimes called antimonite, is a sulfide mineral with the formula Sb2S3. This soft grey material crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group. It is the most important source for the metalloid antimony...
and other antimony minerals. It is dimorphous with the isometric antimony oxide senarmontite.
Historical data
A mineral named in the middle of the 19th century in honour of Basilius ValentinusBasilius Valentinus
Basil Valentine is the Anglicised version of the name Basilius Valentinus, who was allegedly a 15th-century alchemist. There are claims that he was the Canon of the Benedictine Priory of Sankt Peter in Erfurt, Germany but according to John Maxson Stillman, who wrote on the history of chemistry,...
, a writer on alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
. He is the supposed author of the first book to give a detailed description of antimony and its compounds. From the contents of the book it is also obvious that Valentinus was familiar with the synthetic preparation of antimony trioxide
Antimony trioxide
Antimony trioxide is the inorganic compound with the formula Sb2O3. It is the most important commercial compound of antimony. It is found in nature as the minerals valentinite and senarmontite...
, which was called 'the antimony flower'.
Valentinite was first described in 1845 for an occurrence in the Les Chalanches Mine, Allemont, Isère, Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The first description of its occurrence in the region of Pribram
Príbram
Příbram is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic with a population of 35,147. The city is located on the Litavka river and the foothills of Brdy, 60 kilometers south-west of Prague, the country's capital...
in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
comes roughly from the same time. This particular locality at one time produced the very best crystals of this mineral. The largest crystals found there measured up to 3 cm. Grouped in rich druses, they developed in vein
Vein (geology)
In geology, a vein is a distinct sheetlike body of crystallized minerals within a rock. Veins form when mineral constituents carried by an aqueous solution within the rock mass are deposited through precipitation...
cavities with galena
Galena
Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms...
.
Occurrence
Valentinite is a weatheringWeathering
Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, soils and minerals as well as artificial materials through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, biota and waters...
product of hydrothermal antimony bearing veins, where it forms as a seondary mineral through oxidation in the upper parts of the deposits. It occurs associated with stibnite
Stibnite
Stibnite, sometimes called antimonite, is a sulfide mineral with the formula Sb2S3. This soft grey material crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group. It is the most important source for the metalloid antimony...
, native antimony, stibiconite
Stibiconite
Stibiconite is an antimony oxide mineral with formula: Sb3O6. Its name originates from Greek "stibi" and "konis" , alluding to its composition and habit...
, cervantite
Cervantite
Cervantite is an antimony oxide mineral with formula Sb3+Sb5+O4 .It was first described in 1850 for an occurrence in Cervantes, Sierra de Ancares, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, and named for the locality. The mineral was questioned and disapproved, but re-approved and verified in 1962 based on material...
, kermesite
Kermesite
Kermesite or antimony oxysulfide is also known as red antimony . The mineral’s color ranges from cherry red to a dark red to a black. Kermesite is the result of partial oxidation between stibnite and other antimony oxides such as valentinite or stibiconite...
and tetrahedrite
Tetrahedrite
Tetrahedrite is a copper antimony sulfosalt mineral with formula: 12Sb4S13. It is the antimony endmember of the continuous solid solution series with arsenic bearing tennantite. Pure endmembers of the series are seldom if ever seen in nature. Of the two, the antimony rich phase is more common...
.
A rich deposit of valentinite has been found in the Constantine
Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
province of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. This is the only deposit where it is mined as an ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
, with 83% antimony. In all other locations it occurs in negligible quantities.