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Sénarmontite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

Chemistry:  Sb₂O₃  [Antimony Oxide]

Discovered in 1851;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
Sénarmontite is named to honor Henri Hureau de Sénarmont (1808–1862), French physicist and mineralogist, School of Mines, Paris, France, who first noted the species.

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Oxides

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

4/C.02-20

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

4.CB.50

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
C : Metal: Oxygen = 2: 3,3: 5, and similar
B : With medium-sized cations

Related to:

Arsenolite - Sillenite Series. Isomorphous with Valentinite.

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Isometric - Hexoctahedral

Crystal Habit:

Commonly as octahedra, to 3 cm, which may be modified by the cube or dodecahedron; in crusts, granular massive.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

[111] Poor/Indistinct in traces

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Tenacity:

Very Brittle

Hardness (Mohs):

2.0 - 2.5

Density:

5.2 - 5.3 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Optical Properties

Color:

Colorless, White, Gray

Transparency:

Translucent to Transparent

Luster:

Adamantine, Sub-Adamantine, Resinous

Refractive Index:

2.087  Isotropic

Birefringence:

0.0  (Isotropic)

Pleochroism:

None

Anisotrophism:

Strong anomalous anisotropism, sectored or zoned.

Occurances

Geological Setting:

Formed by oxidation of antimony, stibnite, and other antimony minerals in hydrothermal antimony-bearing deposits.

Common Associations:

Cetineite, Kermesite, Mopungite, Stibiconite, Sulfur, Valentinite

Type Locality:

Djebel Haminate Mine, Ain Beida, Constantine Province, Algeria

Year Discovered:

1851

View mineral photos:

Sénarmontite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Sénarmontite is an extremely rare mineral and gem. Crystals are very scarce and usually small. Sénarmontite forms excellent octahedral crystals that can be transparent and colorless to gray. It is a very soft (2.0 - 2.5) but dense (5.2 - 5.3) mineral often with an adamantine luster.

The only source of gem quality crystals is the Djebel Haminate Mine, Ain Beida, Constantine Province, Algeria.
 

  
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