Mineral Cup

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Round 1 Match 7

It’s a high drama match for Stibnite vs Atacamite.

Soft, dark Stibnite has a flare for the dramatic as kohl, an eyeliner used starting in 3000 BCE. But it’s not just a dark beauty, as it was also used to treat eye infections in ancient Egypt and colourless glass for the Roman Empire. It is still valued for its flash, creating sparks for safety matches and enhancing pyrotechnic glitter effects.

Atacamite is rare, yet finds itself in all sorts of peculiar situations. Named for its formation in the arid, saline environment of the Atacama Desert, it’s also been found as an alteration mineral in ancient artifacts, in the patina of the Statue of Liberty, in the jaws of bloodworms, and as a pigment in Eurasia, Russia, and Persia. It’s even suspected to form deep underwater in black smoker vents.

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Atacamite from Chile and Stibnite from Italy. Image credit: Smithsonian Institute

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