Bottinoite is a rare hydrated nickel-antimony hydroxide mineral that forms small, glassy, colorless to white rhombohedral crystals. It is primarily known from the Bottino mine in Italy, where it typically occurs as a secondary mineral within stibnite-bearing hydrothermal veins.
Is this bottinoite?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch bottinoite with a known reference. Bottinoite sits at Mohs ~3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: very pale blue.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: greenish blue, light blue, green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: rhombohedral crystals.
Often confused with
Bottinoite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Bottinoite leaves very pale blue, Brandtite leaves white.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Bottinoite leaves very pale blue, Senarmontite leaves white; luster reads vitreous on Bottinoite and resinous to subadamantine on Senarmontite.
Often found alongside bottinoite
Minerals reported to co-occur with bottinoite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- NiSb₂(OH)₁₂·6H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- ~3
- Density
- 2.83 g/cm³
- Streak
- Very pale blue
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Rhombohedral crystals
- Cleavage
- Perfect
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Adjacent to and incrusting ullmannite in oxidized hydrothermal base-metal deposits
Where rockhounds find bottinoite
Classic worldwide localities
- Bottino mine, near Seravezza, Tuscany, Italy
- Brownley Hill mine, Nenthead, Cumbria, England
- Hendre Felen mine, Ysbyty Ystwyth, Dyfed, and the Mynydd Gorddu mine, Bont gôch, Ceulanymaesmawr, Wales
- Dörnberg, Ramsbeck, North Rhein-Westphalia, Germany
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Adjacent to and incrusting ullmannite in oxidized hydrothermal base-metal deposits. If you start seeing ullmannite, galena, sphalerite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: rhombohedral crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify bottinoite?+
Where is bottinoite found?+
Is bottinoite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like bottinoite?+
What minerals are found with bottinoite?+
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What is bottinoite used for?+
Find bottinoite on the map
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