Metastibnite
Composition: Sb2S3
Crystal System: Amorphous-no crystal structure
Color: Red to deep reddish purple
Type Locality: Steamboat Hot Springs, Washoe County, Nevada
The name metastibnite comes from the Greek meta, about or close to, and stibnite. It is a dimorph (different mineral with the same composition as another) of stibnite (orthorhombic antimony sulfide). It is formed from fumarolic (escaping gas) activity or from the oxidation of stibnite in antimony deposits. The bright red to reddish-purple color of the mineral is very characteristic.
Metastibnite was first described from Steamboat Hot Springs near Reno in 1888. There, the mineral forms crusts and masses on silica deposits at active fumaroles and hot springs. Since then, it has been found at The Geysers, Sonoma County, California, and at antimony deposits such as Mina San Jose, Oruro, Bolivia.
 Metastibnite (bright red) on sinter. Specimen is 10cm wide. Photo by Ben Schumer |
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Metastibnite (purple to red) on sinter. Specimen is 8 cm wide. Photo by Ben Schumer
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