If you are looking for a one of a kind mineral specimen, this would be it! Bismuth is a metallic chemical element with some fascinating properties. With the atomic number 83, it is 86% as dense as lead, making it curiously heavy in the hand. It is also the most diamagnetic natural substance which means it is actually slightly REPELLED by a magnet. Bismuth is one of only a few substances, water being another, that actually expands upon freezing (solidifying).
Bismuth is a by product that is found in a crystal form in the metals Cobalt, Nickel, Sulfide Ores, and even Silver. Even thought this metal does occur naturally, the process is considered man made. Without doing this, Bismuth would not exist. Miners during the Middle Ages apparently believed bismuth to be a stage in the development of silver from baser metals and were dismayed when they uncovered a vein of the metal thinking they had interrupted the process.
Measurements: This mineral specimen is 2 inches tall and is 2.5 inches in width.