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Formula: (Fe2+Fe3+2)(Fe3+2Sb3+4)O12S
Antimonite
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 5.33 measured, 5.22 calculated
Hardness: 4 to 5
Streak: Black
Colour: Black
Environments
Although apuanite was approved in 1978, to date (July 2023) it has been reported only from the type
locality.
Localities
The type locality, the Buca della Vena mine, Pontestazzemese, Stazzema, Lucca Province, Tuscany, Italy, is a small
mineral deposit which outcrops in the upper Versilia valley, and contains iron
ores (magnetite, hematite and
minor pyrite) within a microcrystalline mass of
baryte. The mineralisation took place by metasomatic process at the contact
between phyllites and
dolostones.
Versiliaite and apuanite were generally found as massive
black aggregates in veinlets within thin layers of dolomite, which
are relics of the metasomatic process. Apuanite is also found rarely as prismatic, thick tabular crystals.
Baryte is also associated with apuanite and
versiliaite in the veinlets
(AM 64.1230-1234)>
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