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Antimony (Native)

Q: What is often mistaken for antimony (native)?

Stibnite. The sulfide cousin forms bladed crystals and is softer (Mohs 2); native antimony is blockier and cleavable.

Antimony's symbol Sb comes from 'stibium', the Latin name for the kohl eyeliner made from its sulfide for millennia.

Native element (semi-metal)SlovakiaSee treatment disclosure

Antimony (Native) is native element (semi-metal), Sb. In the hand, it rates 3 to 3.5 on the Mohs scale, and it runs tin white and silver-gray. Tin-white brittle metal of serious heft that cleaves into stepped mirror plates rather than denting like true metals. Hydrothermal veins; notable: Sala (Sweden), Kremnica (Slovakia), New Brunswick (Canada), China.

The closest match we carry

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Antimony is not something we carry. Hematite is the closest match in our collection, and every product page names its origin and grade.

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Family

Native element (semi-metal)

Mohs

3 to 3.5

System

Trigonal

Luster

Metallic, bright on fresh surfaces

Gravity

6.6 to 6.7

Light

Opaque

What it is

The geology.

Antimony (Native) carries the formula Sb. It belongs to the trigonal system. It is classified as native element (semi-metal).

It sits at 3 to 3.5 on the Mohs scale. The surface reads metallic, bright on fresh surfaces. Light behavior is opaque. Specific gravity runs 6.6 to 6.7. The streak is gray. It breaks with perfect basal cleavage; brittle.

Tin-white brittle metal of serious heft that cleaves into stepped mirror plates rather than denting like true metals.

You will most often meet it as massive cleavable lumps, botryoidal masses or rare crystals.

Where it comes from

The origins.

Hydrothermal veins; notable: Sala (Sweden), Kremnica (Slovakia), New Brunswick (Canada), China.

On value, the database notes: collector specimen; uncommon in shops.

What people work with it for

Traditional associations.

In energy work traditions, antimony has little established crystal lore; alchemists historically gave the metal transformative symbolism.

People buy on this language, so it belongs on the page. It belongs under the facts, though, not over them.

What to look for

Spotting the real thing.

Tin-white brittle metal of serious heft that cleaves into stepped mirror plates rather than denting like true metals.

Looks like	How to tell them apart
Stibnite	The sulfide cousin forms bladed crystals and is softer (Mohs 2); native antimony is blockier and cleavable
Arsenic (native)	Native arsenic is darker gray-black and tarnishes faster
Silver	Silver is malleable and dents; antimony shatters

Check it yourself

At-home tests.

You can run every one of these at a kitchen table. Good light matters more than gear when you are looking at antimony (native).

Test	What you should see
By eye	Brittle, chips rather than dents
By eye	Very heavy (SG ~6.6)
By eye	Bright basal cleavage steps

Anything that scratches, burns or dissolves the piece is a lab job. Get it appraised rather than testing it apart.

How to live with it

Care & handling.

At 3 to 3.5 on the Mohs scale this is a soft material. Keep it as a display piece, store it apart from harder stones, and skip daily-wear settings.

It breaks with perfect basal cleavage; brittle, which is worth knowing before you set it or drop it.

Warm water and a soft cloth clean almost everything. Ultrasonic tanks, steamers and household cleaners are where pieces get ruined.

Safe handling

Antimony is toxic if ingested or inhaled as dust, handle specimens normally, wash hands, and never grind them.

Pairs well with.

For the serious reader

A deeper look.

Extended detail on composition, sourcing, authentication and market value.

The physical record

The formula on record is Sb. Crystal system: Trigonal. Specific gravity: 6.6 to 6.7. Streak: Gray. Cleavage and fracture: Perfect basal cleavage; brittle.

How it reaches the market

Hydrothermal veins; notable: Sala (Sweden), Kremnica (Slovakia), New Brunswick (Canada), China.

What it gets confused with

Stibnite: The sulfide cousin forms bladed crystals and is softer (Mohs 2); native antimony is blockier and cleavable. Arsenic (native): Native arsenic is darker gray-black and tarnishes faster. Silver: Silver is malleable and dents; antimony shatters.

What it is worth

Collector specimen; uncommon in shops.

One more thing

Antimony's symbol Sb comes from 'stibium', the Latin name for the kohl eyeliner made from its sulfide for millennia.

From the Beyond Bohemian library

An education-first guide.

No product links here. We publish this guide from our research and years of experience with crystals, so you can understand this stone wherever you find it.

Explore the Crystal Guide

Antimony (Native)

Love Antimony? Meet Hematite.

The geology.

The origins.

Traditional associations.

Spotting the real thing.

At-home tests.

Care & handling.

Pairs well with.

A deeper look.

The physical record

How it reaches the market

What it gets confused with

What it is worth

One more thing

An education-first guide.

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Antimony (Native)

The geology.

The origins.

Traditional associations.

Spotting the real thing.

At-home tests.

Care & handling.

Pairs well with.

A deeper look.

The physical record

How it reaches the market

What it gets confused with

What it is worth

One more thing

An education-first guide.

Most items are one of one or come in limited batches. See them, and the stories behind them, before anyone else.