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Native Bismuth

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Native BismuthHide

Formula:
Bi
Colour:
Reddish-white to creamy-white; tarnishes iridescent pinkish, yellowish or bluish
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
2 - 2½
Specific Gravity:
9.7 - 9.83
Crystal System:
Trigonal
Member of:
Name:
As a chemical element, Bismuth was officially discovered in 1753 by French scientist Claude Geoffroy. The origin of the name comes from the German words "Weisse Masse" meaning "white mass". However, around 1400 the element name is already present in some scientific treaties. In fact before Geoffroy, also the Swiss scientist Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (1493 - 1541) probably better known under his Latinized name of Paracelsus, mentioned the word “Bisemutum”. He said that the Latin word came from a German term, “Wissmut”. For him, the word “wissmut” was because in Saxony, around St. Georges, the mineral was extracted ("gemutet"), in the fields ("in den Wiesen"). For others, the word comes from another similar German word: "Weissmuth" = white material", and this is supported by the fact that bismuth is a bright metal of white colour.
Arsenic Group.

Although long thought to be stable, bismuth, as an element, was shown to be weakly radioactive, with an enormously long half-life period: 1.9 × 1019  years (de Marcillac et al., 2003).


Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
684
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:684:2

Similar NamesHide

BismiteA valid IMA mineral species - grandfatheredBi2O3
BismutiteA valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered(BiO)2CO3

IMA Classification of Native BismuthHide

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)

Classification of Native BismuthHide

1.CA.05

1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
C : Metalloids and Nonmetals
A : Arsenic group elements
Dana 7th ed.:
1.3.1.5
1.3.1.4

1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
3 : Semi-metals and non-metals
1.49

1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.

SymbolSourceReference for Standard
BiIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43
BiThe Canadian Mineralogist (2019)The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download

Pronunciation of Native BismuthHide

Pronunciation:
PlayRecorded byCountry
Jolyon RalphUnited Kingdom

Physical Properties of Native BismuthHide

Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Reddish-white to creamy-white; tarnishes iridescent pinkish, yellowish or bluish
Streak:
Silver-white
Hardness:
2 - 2½ on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=16 - 18 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Tenacity:
Sectile
Cleavage:
Perfect
Perfect {0001}, Good {1011}, poor {1014}
Density:
9.7 - 9.83 g/cm3 (Measured)    9.753 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of Native BismuthHide

Anisotropism:
Distinct
Reflectivity:
WavelengthR1 (%)R2 (%)
400nm47.0% 58.2%
420nm49.3% 58.8%
440nm51.4% 59.7%
460nm52.9% 60.9%
480nm54.4% 62.4%
500nm56.2% 63.9%
520nm57.8% 65.3%
540nm59.3% 66.6%
560nm60.4% 67.8%
580nm61.4% 69.0%
600nm62.4% 69.9%
620nm63.1% 70.7%
640nm63.6% 71.5%
660nm63.9% 72.2%
680nm64.0% 72.8%
700nm64.1% 73.2%


Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 73.2%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Colour in reflected light:
Brilliant creamy white, tarnishing to yellow
Pleochroism:
Weak

Chemistry of Native BismuthHide

Mindat Formula:
Bi
Element Weights:
Element% weight
Bi100.000 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.
Bi
Common Impurities:
Fe,Te,As,S,Sb

Crystallography of Native BismuthHide

Crystal System:
Trigonal
Class (H-M):
3m(32/m) - Hexagonal Scalenohedral
Space Group:
R3m
Cell Parameters:
a = 4.55 Å, c = 11.85 Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 2.604
Unit Cell V:
212.46 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
6
Morphology:
Crystals, to 12 cm, but indistinct, commonly in parallel groupings, or hoppered; reticulated, arborescent, foliated, granular.
Twinning:
Polysynthetic

Crystal StructureHide

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IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0012876Native BismuthStraumanis M E (1949) The precision determination of lattice constants by the powder and rotation crystal methods and applications Journal of Applied Physics 20 726-7341949synthetic0298
0012943Native BismuthJette E R, Foote F (1935) Precision determination of lattice constants Journal of Chemical Physics 3 605-6161935synthetic0298
0015135Native BismuthDavey W P (1925) Lattice constants of twelve common metals Physical Review 25 753-7611925synthetic0293
0012841Native BismuthSchiferl D, Barrett CS (1969) The crystal structure of arsenic at 4.2, 78 and 299 K Journal of Applied Crystallography 2 30-3619690293
0012840Native BismuthSchiferl D, Barrett CS (1969) The crystal structure of arsenic at 4.2, 78 and 299 K Journal of Applied Crystallography 2 30-3619690293
0012839Native BismuthSchiferl D, Barrett CS (1969) The crystal structure of arsenic at 4.2, 78 and 299 K Journal of Applied Crystallography 2 30-3619690293
0011254Native BismuthWyckoff R W G (1963) Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York Crystal Structures 1 7-8319630293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Loading XRD data...
Data Set:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
3.28 Å(100)
2.37 Å(40)
2.273 Å(41)
1.868 Å(23)
1.491 Å(11)
1.443 Å(16)
1.330 Å(11)
Comments:
Synthetic.

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic ModeEarliest Age (Ga)
High-? alteration and/or metamorphism
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12])
Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks>3.0
34 : Complex granite pegmatites
Stage 10a: Neoproterozoic oxygenation/terrestrial biosphere<0.6
50 : Coal and/or oil shale minerals<0.36
Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals<10 Ka
54 : Coal and other mine fire minerals (see also #51 and #56)
Geological Setting:
In hydrothermal veins with ores of Co, Ni, Ag, and Sn; in pegmatites and topaz-bearing Sn–W quartz veins.

Type Occurrence of Native BismuthHide

Synonyms of Native BismuthHide

Other Language Names for Native BismuthHide

Arabic:بزموت
Azeri:Bismut
Basque:Bismuto
Belarusian:Вісмут
Bosnian:Bizmut
Bulgarian:Бисмут
Catalan:Bismut
Chuvash:Висмут
Corsican:Bismutu
Croatian:Bizmut
Czech:Bismut
Dutch:Bismut
Esperanto:Bismuto
Estonian:Vismut
Farsi/Persian:بیسموت
Finnish:Vismutti
Friulian:Bismût
Galician:Bismuto
Hungarian:Bizmut
Icelandic:Bismút
Indonesian:Bismut
Irish Gaelic:Biosmat
Italian:Bismuto
Javanese:Bismut
Kurdish (Latin Script):Bîzmût
Latin:Bisemutum
Latvian:Bismuts
Lithuanian:Bismutas
Lojban:Jinmrbismu
Luxembourgish:Native Bismuth
Manx:Bismut
Norwegian:Vismut
Norwegian (Nynorsk):Vismut
Occitan:Bismut
Polish:Bizmut
Portuguese:Bismuto
Quechua:Wismutu
Romanian:Bismut
Russian:Висмут
Saterland Frisian:Native Bismuth
Serbian:Бизмут
Serbo-Croatian:Bizmut
Sicilian:Bismutu
Simplified Chinese:自然铋
Slovak:Bizmut
Slovenian:Bizmut
Spanish:Bismuto
Swahili:Bismuthi
Swedish:Vismut
Turkish:Bizmut
Ukrainian:Бісмут
Vietnamese:Bitmut
Welsh:Bismwth

Varieties of Native BismuthHide

Antimony-bearing BismuthAn antimony-bearing variety of native bismuth.

A phase with the formula BiSb was described from Jáchymov by Ondruš et al. (2003) as "7 μm rounded grain surrounded by stibarsen and an As(Sb,Bi) alloy (see arsenic and stibarsen analyses) in a small cavi...

Relationship of Native Bismuth to other SpeciesHide

Member of:
Other Members of Arsenic Group:
Native AntimonySbTrig. 3m(32/m) : R3m
Native ArsenicAsTrig. 3m(32/m) : R3m
StibarsenAsSbTrig. 3m(32/m) : R3m

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:
511 photos of Native Bismuth associated with QuartzSiO2
316 photos of Native Bismuth associated with BismuthiniteBi2S3
194 photos of Native Bismuth associated with RammelsbergiteNiAs2
158 photos of Native Bismuth associated with Safflorite(Co,Ni,Fe)As2
154 photos of Native Bismuth associated with ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
130 photos of Native Bismuth associated with NickelskutteruditeNiAs3
114 photos of Native Bismuth associated with CalciteCaCO3
105 photos of Native Bismuth associated with SkutteruditeCoAs3
91 photos of Native Bismuth associated with ArsenopyriteFeAsS
71 photos of Native Bismuth associated with BismiteBi2O3

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

1.CA.05Native AntimonySbTrig. 3m(32/m) : R3m
1.CA.05Native ArsenicAsTrig. 3m(32/m) : R3m
1.CA.05StibarsenAsSbTrig. 3m(32/m) : R3m
1.CA.10ArsenolampriteAsOrth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
1.CA.10Pararsenolamprite(As,Sb)Orth. mm2 : Pmn21
1.CA.15ParadocrasiteSb2(Sb,As)2Mon. 2 : B2
1.CA.20Native PhosphorusP4Iso. 43m : I43m

Other InformationHide

Thermal Behaviour:
Fuses at 265 C. Crystallizes readily from fusion.
Notes:
Dissolves in nitric acid; subsequent dilution causes a white precipitate.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Native Bismuth in petrologyHide

An essential component of rock names highlighted in red, an accessory component in rock names highlighted in green.

    Internet Links for Native BismuthHide

    References for Native BismuthHide

    Localities for Native BismuthHide

    Showing 2,600 localities.

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