Chemistry:Kyawthuite

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Kyawthuite
Kyawthuite sample on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
General
CategoryOxide mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
BiSbO4
Crystal systemMonoclinic
Crystal classPrismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)
Space groupI2/c
Unit cella = 5.46 Å, b = 4.89 Å
c = 11.85 Å, β = 101.20° (approximated); Z = 4
Identification
Mohs scale hardness5 1/2
References[1][2]

Kyawthuite (/ˈtʃɜːrˌtuːaɪt/)[4] is a rare mineral[1] with formula BiSbO4.[2] It is a natural bismuth antimonate, in which bismuth has oxidation state +3, and antimony oxidation state +5.[5]

Description

Kyawthuite is monoclinic, with space group I2/c, and is isostructural with clinocervantite,[1] its trivalent-antimony-analogue.[6] Kyawthuite is an antimony-analogue of clinobisvanite.[7]

Occurrence

Kyawthuite was discovered in the vicinity of Mogok in Myanmar, an area famous for its variety of gemstone minerals,[8] in 2010 and was subsequently identified as being a new specimen by Dr. Kyaw Thu. The International Mineralogical Association officially recognised kyawthuite as a new mineral in 2015.[9]

Only one 0.3-gram sample of the naturally occurring form of this mineral is documented, and it is stored and on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.[10] [11]

A pedestal at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, displaying the only known piece of kyawthuite, as well as various other gemstones.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Kyawthuite: Kyawthuite mineral information and data". http://www.mindat.org/min-46909.html. Retrieved 2016-03-04. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Kampf, A.R., Rossman, G.R. and Ma, C. (2015) Kyawthuite, IMA 2015-078. CNMNC Newsletter No. 28, December 2015, 1863; Mineralogical Magazine 79, 1859–1864
  3. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine 85 (3): 291–320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. Bibcode2021MinM...85..291W. 
  4. Julien Miquel (2024-03-29). How to Pronounce Kyawthuite (CORRECTLY!). Retrieved 2025-05-05 – via YouTube.
  5. Kampf, Anthony R.; Rossman, George R.; Ma, Chi; Williams, Peter A. (2017-06-01). "Kyawthuite, Bi3+Sb5+O4, a new gem mineral from Mogok, Burma (Myanmar)". Mineralogical Magazine 81 (3): 477–484. doi:10.1180/minmag.2016.080.102. ISSN 0026-461X. https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.2016.080.102. 
  6. "Clinocervantite: Clinocervantite mineral information and data". http://www.mindat.org/min-6879.html. Retrieved 2016-03-09. 
  7. "Clinobisvanite: Clinobisvanite mineral information and data". http://www.mindat.org/min-1067.html. Retrieved 2016-03-09. 
  8. "Mogok Township, Pyin-Oo-Lwin District, Mandalay Division, Myanmar - Mindat.org". http://www.mindat.org/loc-24345.html. Retrieved 2016-03-04. 
  9. Puiu, Tibi (2025-07-30). "Meet the world's rarest mineral. It was found only once" (in en-US). https://www.zmescience.com/science/geology/world-rarest-mineral-kyawthuite/. 
  10. Luntz, Stephen (26 January 2023). "There Is Only One Specimen Of The Rarest Mineral On Earth" (in en). https://www.iflscience.com/there-is-only-one-specimen-of-the-rarest-mineral-on-earth-67276. 
  11. Starr, Michelle, The World's Rarest Mineral Is So Rare It's Only Ever Been Found Once, Science Alert, November 29, 2024