How do I identify Stibarsen?

Stibarsen can be identified by its hardness of 3 - 4 on the Mohs scale, White color. Look for these key characteristics when examining specimens.

What color is Stibarsen?

Stibarsen typically appears in White, reddish gray, tarnishes gray. Color can vary depending on impurities and formation conditions.

How hard is Stibarsen?

Stibarsen has a hardness of 3 - 4 on the Mohs scale. This makes it a soft mineral that can be scratched easily.

Stibarsen

A variety of Minerals

What is Stibarsen?

Stibarsen or allemontite is a natural form of arsenic antimonide (AsSb) or antimony arsenide (SbAs). The name stibarsen is derived from Latin stibium (antimony) and arsenic, whereas allemonite refers to the locality Allemont in France where the mineral was discovered. It is found in veins at Allemont, Isère, France; Valtellina, Italy; and the Comstock Lode, Nevada; and in a lithium pegmatites at Varuträsk, Sweden. Stibarsen is often mixed with pure arsenic or antimony, and the original description in 1941 proposed to use stibarsen for AsSb and allemontite for the mixtures. Since 1982, the International Mineralogical Association considers stibarsen as the correct mineral name.

Stibarsen Market Value Calculator

Estimate the market value of Stibarsen using size, quality, and finish. This preview calculator is for quick context and is not a formal appraisal.

Stibarsen Localities Map

See where Stibarsen is found with a localities map, collecting zones, and geology context. Generate a sample map preview below.

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North ZoneCentral RidgeSouth Basin

Key Characteristics

Composition of Stibarsen

Stibarsen has the same crystal structure as arsenic and antimony, with the intermediate values of the lattice parameters. This structure (space group R3m No. 166) is variably described as hexagonal, trigonal and rhombohedral because of the overlap between these terms (see trigonal crystal system). Simulation of the X-ray diffraction intensities reveals that the Sb and As atoms form ordered (or partly ordered) sublattices in SbAs. The atoms are arranged in warped graphite-like sheets, which extend normal to the c axis. Weak bonding between the sheets accounts for the relatively low hardness of As, Sb and AsSb.