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Formula: Sb2O3
Simple oxide of antimony, paramorph of
senarmontite
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 5.76 measured, 5.76 calculated
Hardness: 2½ to 3
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless, white, light gray, light yellow
Solubility: Soluble in hydrochloric acid; easily fusible in a closed tube
(Dana)
Common impurities: As
Environments:
Valentinite is an oxidation product of various antimony minerals in the oxidised
zone of hydrothermal antimony deposits
(Webmin, HOM).
Associated minerals include stibnite,
antimony, stibiconite,
cervantite, kermesite and
tetrahedrite
(HOM, Mindat).
Localities
At the Xikuangshan Sb deposit, Lengshuijiang County, Loudi, Hunan, China, millimetre sized sprays of butterscotch coloured
vitreous transparent stubby valentinite crystals occur on silver-grey stibnite
(AESS).
At Příbram, Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic, valentinite occurs in galena
(Dana).
Valentinite from Příbram - Image
At the type locality, Les Chalanches Mine, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, valentinite occurs as an oxidation product
of antimony and stibarsen
(Dana).
At the Picahotes mine, San Benito county, California, USA, valentinite occurs with
stibnite
(Dana).
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