Microscopic cervantite crystals from Slovakia (3 mm field of view)
General
Category
Oxide mineral
Formula (repeating unit)
Sb3+Sb5+O4
IMA symbol
Cvn[1]
Strunz classification
4.DE.30
Crystal system
Orthorhombic
Crystal class
Pyramidal (mm2) (same H-M symbol)
Space group
Pbn21
Unit cell
a = 5.43 Å, b = 4.81 Å, c = 11.76 Å; Z = 4
Identification
Color
Yellow to nearly white
Crystal habit
Microscopic acicular crystals; massive
Cleavage
Excellent on {001}, distinct on {100}
Fracture
Conchoidal
Mohs scale hardness
4–5
Luster
Greasy, pearly, earthy
Streak
Pale yellow to white
Diaphaneity
Semitransparent
Specific gravity
6.5
Optical properties
Biaxial
Refractive index
nα = 2.000 nγ = 2.100
Birefringence
δ = 0.100
Dispersion
relatively weak
References
[2][3][4][5]
Cervantite is an antimony oxide mineral with formula Sb3+Sb5+O4 (antimony tetroxide).
It was first described in 1850 for an occurrence in Cervantes, Galicia, Spain, and named for the locality.[4] The mineral was questioned and disapproved, but re-approved and verified in 1962 based on material from the Zajaca-Stolice district, Brasina, Serbia.[3] It occurs as a secondary alteration product of antimony bearing minerals, mainly stibnite.[3]
Cervantite and valentinite replacing stibnite from the Xikuangshan Mine of Hunan Province, China (size: 16.1 × 5.0 × 3.0 cm)
Cervantite is an antimony oxide mineral with formula Sb3+Sb5+O4 (antimony tetroxide). It was first described in 1850 for an occurrence in Cervantes, Galicia...
compound with the formula Sb2O4. This material, which exists as the mineral cervantite, is white but reversibly yellows upon heating. The material, with empirical...
deposits. It occurs associated with stibnite, native antimony, stibiconite, cervantite, kermesite and tetrahedrite. A rich deposit of valentinite has been found...
hydrothermal antimony minerals such as stibnite. It occurs in association with cervantite, valentinite, kermesite, native antimony and stibnite. Warr, L.N. (2021)...
tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite, malachite, azurite, brochantite, chrysocolla, cervantite, stibiconite, hemimorphite and calcite in the type locality; and with...
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