The Probert Encyclopaedia of Rocks & Minerals

ANTIMONY

Antimony or stibium is a brittle, silver-white, pentavalent semimetal element with the symbol Sb and a relative hardness of 3 or 4. Antimony, also known as grey antimony, is easily pulverised into a powder and was long used as a cosmetic for blackening around the eyes, the Greeks and Romans using antimony to darken their eye lids and eye lashes and Arab peoples still use it as such. Black antimony or stibnite (also known as antimonite and antimony glance) is actually antimony trisulphide, and is the most common ore of antimony occurring as grey striated prismatic crystals of the orthorhombic system.

Antimony is found in many places, including France, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Canada, Australia, and Borneo. The metal, or, as it was formerly called, the regulus of antimony, does not rust or tarnish when exposed to the air. When alloyed with other metals it hardens them, and is therefore used in the manufacture of alloys, such as Britannia-metal, type-metal, and pewter. In bells it renders the sound more clear; it renders tin more white and sonorous as well as harder, and gives to printing types more firmness and smoothness. The salts of antimony are very poisonous. The protoxide is the active base of tartar emetic and James's powder, and is justly regarded as a most valuable remedy in many diseases.

Yellow antimony is a preparation of antimony of a deep yellow colour, used in enamel and porcelain painting. It is of various tints, and the brilliancy of the brighter hues is not affected by foul air.
Research Antimony