Estibina
Estibina is a mineral with formula Sb₂S₃, in the Sulfuros group. This specimen comes from Xikuangshan Sb deposit, Loudi, Hunan, China and joined the Terrium collection in 2025.
Description
Translucent white, scalenohedral, fang-like calcite, excellently oriented on a prismatic column of metallic stibnite.
History of this specimen
Piece number 101. A long-sought, long-awaited milestone, signalling the arrival at a stage of maturity and clear judgement. It was selected for its vertical architecture and its emphatic symbolism: it signals "up to here and from here on". The price was negotiated after a tug-of-war with Luis Burillo, who is tough and never, or almost never, lowers the price. But he did.
About Estibina
Kohl, the ancient eye cosmetic used in Egypt to protect against sun and infection, originated from stibnite Sb₂S₃, jars of the prepared mix have even been found alongside the raw mineral. The Greeks later called this black powder stibi or platyophthalmos ("bright-eyed"), which the Romans adapted into stibium, giving rise to the symbol Sb.
About the locality
Since its start-up in 1897, the area produced nearly two million tonnes of metal at the cost of extreme degradation: toxic slag, unbreathable air and contaminated waters. Life there became impossible: neither drinking the water nor growing vegetables was possible. The whole surroundings were barren and waste. In 2006 the transformation began: closure of workings and land restoration, reforestation and landscape conversion. Today, where there was once intensive mining, there are forests, fields, renewable energy installations and active scientific and tourist activity. Specimens like this are increasingly scarce, as there is practically no mining in the area and, moreover, since 2022 the export of stibnite from China has been subject to ever stricter controls, which has greatly reduced its availability.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0101
- Composition
- Sb₂S₃
- Name
- Estibina
- Group
- Sulfuros
- Category
- Estélites
- Matrix
- Estibina
- Associations
- calcita
- Mine
- Xikuangshan Sb deposit
- District / Municipality
- Loudi
- Province
- Hunan
- Country
- China
- Size (cm)
- 11.3 x 2.9 x 2.6
- Weight
- 97.1 g
- Acquired
- 2025
- Etymology
- The name stibnite spans more than two millennia. In Classical Greek it was stíbi or stimmi, and also platyophthalmos, «bright-eyed», in allusion to its cosmetic use. The Romans adopted stibium, source of the chemical symbol Sb for antimony. Over time, the mineral acquired other names—such as antimonite, with its apocryphal «monk-killer» tale of well-meaning alchemists, and later stibine—that reflect the languages and periods that sought to name it and understand it.
- Quality
- Top
- Value trend
- Al alza
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