Estibina
Estibina is a mineral with formula Sb₂S₃, in the Sulfuros group. This specimen comes from Baia Sprie Mine, Baia Sprie, Maramureș, Transilvania, Rumanía.
Description
Spray of really bright stibnite needles in a predominantly vertical arrangement.
History of this specimen
During the soviet regimen pieces like this one used to be kept in talc or grease and placed in tin cans by the miners so they can later sell them to foreign collectors and get some extra really needed money given the famine and lack of energy due to the Nicolae Ceausescu communist dictatorship.
About Estibina
Stibnite’s lustre and metallic needles can make it look more robust than it is. This antimony sulphide has a hardness of 2 and cleaves very easily in one direction: its crystalline architecture combines a striking appearance with a delicate structure. It is the principal ore of antimony.
About the locality
Baia Sprie, also known by its historical name Felsőbánya, is a classic locality for crystallised stibnite. It belongs to the Baia Mare district, where hydrothermal activity linked to Miocene magmatism concentrated lead, zinc, copper, gold and silver in veins and cavities. In 2000, a very serious mining accident in Baia Mare contaminated the region's river network; six years later, Baia Sprie closed for good.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0696
- Composition
- Sb₂S₃
- Name
- Estibina
- Group
- Sulfuros
- Category
- Meritum Persé
- Mine
- Baia Sprie Mine
- District / Municipality
- Baia Sprie
- Province
- Maramureș
- Region
- Transilvania
- Country
- Rumanía
- Size (cm)
- 8.4 x 3.4 x 1.3
- Weight
- 23 g
- Ex-collection
- Bernhard Dünkel
- Etymology
- The English name «stibnite» derives from Greek «stibi» and Latin «stibium», old names for the mineral.
- Quality
- Muy buena
- Value trend
- Estable
Related specimens
- Oropimente — China
- Esfalerita (Marmatita) — Rusia
- Estibina — Rumanía
- Estibina — Rumanía
- Realgar — Rumanía
- Pararealgar — Rumanía
- Galena — España
- Goethita — España