Bismuth

Real mineral · rare · Bi

A native element forming spectacular hopper crystals with iridescent oxide coatings when grown slowly from a melt. The last stable element in the periodic table by atomic weight. Slightly radioactive with an extremely long half-life.

Identity

Formula

Bi

Chemical class

native_element

Also known as

Native bismuth

Crystallography

Crystal system

trigonal

Habits

massive, granular, dendritic

Fracture

uneven

Physical properties

Mohs hardness

2.5

Density

9.79 g/cm³

Luster

metallic

Colors

silvery gray, pink, orange, yellow

Streak

silver-white

Transparency

opaque

Geology

Origins

hydrothermal, igneous

Host rocks

granite, pegmatite

Associated minerals

Arsenopyrite, Gold, Quartz

Geography

Bolivia, China, Peru, USA, Japan

Classification

Rarity

rare

Gem quality

No

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