bismuthinite

{{Short description|Bismuth (III) sulfide mineral}}

{{Infobox mineral

| name = Bismuthinite

| category = Sulfide mineral

| boxwidth =

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| image = Bismuthinite.jpg

| imagesize = 260px

| caption = Bismuthinite – Schlaggenwald (Horni Slavkov) – Bohemia – Czech Republic (XX 1.1 cm)

| IMAsymbol = Bin{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3|pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43|bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W|s2cid=235729616|doi-access=free}}

| formula = Bi₂S₃

| strunz = 2.DB.05a

| system = Orthorhombic

| class = Dipyramidal (mmm)
H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)

| symmetry = Pbnm

| color = Lead-gray to tin-white, with a yellowish or iridescent tarnish.

| habit = Slender prismatic to acicular, massive lamellar

| twinning =

| cleavage = [010] Perfect

| fracture = Uneven

| tenacity = Brittle, sectile

| mohs = 2

| luster = Metallic

| refractive =

| opticalprop = Opaque

| streak = Lead grey

| gravity = 6.8–7.2

| density =

| melt =

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| references = {{cite web |last1=Anthony |first1=John W. |last2=Bideaux |first2=Richard A. |last3=Bladh |first3=Kenneth W. |last4=Nichols |first4=Monte C. |title=Bismuthinite |url=http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/bismuthinite.pdf |website=Handbook of Mineralogy |publisher=Mineral Data Publishing |access-date=14 March 2022 |date=2005}}{{WebMineral|url=http://webmineral.com/data/Bismuthinite.shtml|title=Bismuthinite Mineral Data|accessdate=26 May 2022}}{{mindat|id=686|title=Bismuthinite|accessdate=26 May 2022}}

}}

Bismuthinite is a mineral consisting of bismuth sulfide (Bi₂S₃). It is an important ore for bismuth. The crystals are steel-grey to off-white with a metallic luster. It is soft enough to be scratched with a fingernail and rather dense.

Bismuthinite forms a series with the lead, copper, bismuth mineral aikinite (PbCuBiS₃).

File:Bismuthinite-136224.jpg

File:Maldonit, Bismut, Bismuthinit, Pyrit, Au-Ag.png

It occurs in hydrothermal veins with tourmaline-bearing copper veins associated with granite, in some high temperature gold veins, and in recent volcanic exhalation deposits. Associated minerals include native bismuth, aikinite, arsenopyrite, stannite, galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite, tourmaline, wolframite, cassiterite and quartz.

It was first reported in 1832 from the mines of Potosí, Bolivia.

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