History · Geology
About Xikuangshan Antimony Mine
The Xikuangshan Antimony Mine in Lengshuijiang, Hunan Province, is the world’s largest single antimony deposit, supplying ~30% of global Sb production for over a century. Active continuously since 1897, the mine has produced more than 2 million tonnes of contained antimony from sediment-hosted vein and stratabound stibnite ore. Xikuangshan is the global type-area for low-temperature hydrothermal sediment-hosted antimony deposits.
Geology & Signature Specimens
Stibnite mineralization is hosted in Devonian carbonate sequences along NE-trending faults of the Xuefeng tectonic zone. Ore bodies form vein swarms and stratabound replacements, with stibnite as elongate prismatic and massive aggregates accompanied by quartz, calcite, fluorite, and minor cinnabar/realgar. Collector specimens favor classic pencil-prism stibnite spears in radiating aggregates — the global benchmark for the species.
Minerals Produced Here
- Boulangerite (硫锑铅矿)
- Stibnite (辉锑矿)
