Minerals / Bismuth

Bismuth is a chemical element, Bi. Although Bismuth is known as small occurrences in it's pure state, it is mostly extracted from two major ores of Bismuth, Bismuthinite ( 81% ) and Bismite ( 89% ). It has a rhombohedral lattice structure, and crystals grow with a "hopper" appearance .The stepped crystals form as a result of faster growth on the outer face compared to the inner face, possibly caused by an electrical charge on the outer surface. Hopper growth is also known in several other minerals, for instance, Halite, Galena, and others. I bought this synthetic specimen, lab grown, online, however the hopper appearance is not uncommon in natural deposits.

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