Livingstonite is a mercury antimony sulfosalt mineral. It occurs in low-temperature hydrothermal veins associated with cinnabar, stibnite, sulfur and gypsum.
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Livingstonite |
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Category | Sulfosalt mineral |
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Formula | HgSb4S8 |
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IMA symbol | Lst[1] |
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Strunz classification | 2.HA.15 |
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Crystal system | Monoclinic |
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Crystal class | Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol) |
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Space group | A2/a |
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Unit cell | a = 30.567(6), b = 4.015(1) c = 21.465(3) [Å]; β = 103.39°; Z = 8 |
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Color | Blackish gray; in polished section, white; red in transmitted light, with deep red internal reflections |
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Crystal habit | As needles elongated [010], to 12 cm; also fibrous, massive, columnar, and in globular masses and interlaced needles. |
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Cleavage | Perfect on {001}, poor on {010} and {100} |
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Fracture | Uneven, flat surfaces |
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Tenacity | Flexible |
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Mohs scale hardness | 2 |
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Luster | Adamantine to metallic |
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Streak | Red |
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Diaphaneity | Opaque, translucent in thin fragments |
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Specific gravity | 4.8 – 4.88 meas. 4.98 calc. |
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Optical properties | Biaxial (–) |
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Refractive index | >= 2.72 |
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Pleochroism | Weak; strongly anisotropic |
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References | [2][3][4] |
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It was first described in 1874 for an occurrence in Huitzuco de los Figueroa, Guerrero, Mexico. It was named to honor Scottish explorer of Africa, David Livingstone.[5]
Its crystal structure was determined in 1957[6] and redetermined in 1975.[7]