One natural mineral specimen
Stibnite Blades with Dolomite · 290 g
Qinglong Mine, Guizhou, China
£195
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Description
An upright cluster of intergrown Stibnite blades, with long metallic columns and bright silver-grey faces against darker steel-coloured surfaces. Fine grooves run along the blades, with small pale areas of the supplied Dolomite association.
Long blades follow the height of the specimen, crossing smaller crystals and leaving narrow spaces between them. The side and reverse photographs show its depth, broad reflective faces and natural contact surfaces.
The associated mineral is recorded as Dolomite in the supplied specimen information. This piece is from the same Qinglong Mine batch as the other Stibnite specimens in the collection.
I have shown the exact specimen from five angles. You will receive the mineral photographed. Colour and reflections vary with lighting and screen settings.
The bladed growth described here gives the specimen a strong sense of direction. Overlapping elongated forms create layers and spaces through the group, while reflections emphasise individual edges. The overall arrangement is worth appreciating alongside the details of each exposed surface, particularly when comparing the piece with more compact crystal clusters.
The recorded Dolomite adds a carbonate association to the specimen. Its contrasting surface character helps separate the featured growth from the material around it. This relationship gives the piece another point of interest beyond the principal crystals: it can be appreciated both for the main mineral’s habit and for the way the minerals are arranged together.
Stibnite is antimony sulphide, a metallic mineral often associated with elongated crystals. It forms in hydrothermal veins, where mineral-bearing fluids deposit material as conditions change. Its lead-grey to silver-grey appearance and long crystal habit make it quite different in character from the compact shapes of many other metallic minerals.
Collectors value the arrangement of the blades as much as their shine. Parallel growth, crossing crystals and radiating groups create different silhouettes, while lengthwise surface detail can emphasise the direction of growth. Stibnite is relatively soft and its projecting crystals deserve careful handling. Support the stable part of the specimen when moving it rather than lifting it by a blade.
The recorded origin is Qinglong Mine, Guizhou, China. The locality and mineral associations follow the information supplied with this specimen. Its individual growth and matrix provide the visual details described here.
The specimen measures 120 × 65 × 40 mm, with a recorded weight of 290 g. The proportions give a useful guide to its place in a display, with the individual crystal arrangement and mineral association remaining the principal points of interest.
Support the stable part of the specimen rather than an elongated blade. Stibnite is relatively soft, and projecting metallic growth can be damaged by pressure. A secure display lets the blade arrangement and surface detail be appreciated with minimal handling.