Livingstonite is a mercury antimony sulfosalt mineral. It occurs in low-temperature hydrothermal veins associated with cinnabar, stibnite, sulfur and gypsum.

Livingstonite
Bright, steel-metallic livingstonite laths to 1.2 cm. on rich antimony (stibnite) ore. From the type locality in Huitzuco de los Figueroa.
General
CategorySulfosalt mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
HgSb4S8
IMA symbolLst[1]
Strunz classification2.HA.15
Crystal systemMonoclinic
Crystal classPrismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)
Space groupA2/a
Unit cella = 30.567(6), b = 4.015(1)
c = 21.465(3) [Å]; β = 103.39°; Z = 8
Identification
ColorBlackish gray; in polished section, white; red in transmitted light, with deep red internal reflections
Crystal habitAs needles elongated [010], to 12 cm; also fibrous, massive, columnar, and in globular masses and interlaced needles.
CleavagePerfect on {001}, poor on {010} and {100}
FractureUneven, flat surfaces
TenacityFlexible
Mohs scale hardness2
LusterAdamantine to metallic
StreakRed
DiaphaneityOpaque, translucent in thin fragments
Specific gravity4.8 – 4.88 meas. 4.98 calc.
Optical propertiesBiaxial (–)
Refractive index>= 2.72
PleochroismWeak; strongly anisotropic
References[2][3][4]

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]

References

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  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/livingstonite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. ^ http://www.mindat.org/min-2424.html Mindat
  4. ^ http://webmineral.com/data/Livingstonite.shtml Webmineral data
  5. ^ Barcena, M (1874). "On livingstonite, a new mineral". American Journal of Science. 108: 145–146.
  6. ^ Niizeki, N.; Buerger, M.J. (1957). "The crystal structure of livingstonite, HgSb4S8". Zeitschrift für Kristallographie. 109 (1–6): 129–157. Bibcode:1957ZK....109..129N. doi:10.1524/zkri.1957.109.1-6.129. S2CID 96358610.
  7. ^ Srikrishnan, T.; Nowacki, W. (1975). "A redetermination of the crystal structure of livingstonite, HgSb4S8". Zeitschrift für Kristallographie. 141 (3–4): 174–192. Bibcode:1975ZK....141..174S. doi:10.1524/zkri.1975.141.3-4.174.
  • Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1944) Dana's system of mineralogy, (7th edition), v. I, 485–486