Kyawthuite

Kyawthuite (/ˈtʃɜːrˌtuːaɪt/)^[4] is a rare mineral^[2] with formula BiSbO₄.^[3] It is a natural bismuth antimonate, in which bismuth has oxidation state +3, and antimony oxidation state +5.^[5]

Kyawthuite
Kyawthuite sample on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
General
Category	Oxide mineral
Formula	BiSbO4
IMA symbol	Kyw[1]
Crystal system	Monoclinic
Crystal class	Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol)
Space group	I2/c
Unit cell	a = 5.46 Å, b = 4.89 Å c = 11.85 Å, β = 101.20° (approximated); Z = 4
Identification
Mohs scale hardness	5 ⁠1/2⁠
References	[2][3]

Description

Kyawthuite is monoclinic, with space group I2/c, and is isostructural with clinocervantite,^[2] its trivalent-antimony-analogue.^[6] Kyawthuite is an antimony-analogue of clinobisvanite.^[7]

Occurrence

Kyawthuite was discovered in the vicinity of Mogok in Myanmar, an area famous for its variety of gemstone minerals,^[8] in 2010 and was subsequently identified as being a new specimen by Dr. Kyaw Thu. The International Mineralogical Association officially recognised kyawthuite as a new mineral in 2015.^[9]

Only one 0.3-gram sample of the naturally occurring form of this mineral is documented, and it is stored and on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.^{[10] [11]}

A pedestal at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, displaying the only known piece of kyawthuite, as well as various other gemstones.