kermesite

Because of its color, the precipitate of kermesite was used as a coloring agent and in alchemy.

It occurs in association with cervantite, valentinite, kermesite, native antimony and stibnite.

Under certain conditions with oxygenated fluids the transformation of all sulfur to oxygen would occur but kermesite occurs when that transformation is halted.

Kermesite or antimony oxysulfide is also known as red antimony (SbSO) .

Kermesite is named after a formerly used red dye, kermes (dye), and was so named because of the grainy reddish color the mineral often has.

Presently, kermesite is collected for the beauty of its crystal metallic structure and not used in either cosmetics or the medical field any longer due to the toxic effects that it shares with antimony; less harmful substitutes have been found using both organic and pharmaceutical production.