There, mineralogists were able to relate the stone to synthetic BiSbO 4 – bismuth antimonate – though with the formula Bi 3+ Sb 5+ O 4, an arrangement never before found in nature.

Bismuth is an unusual element that we don't encounter much in everyday life. But this pretty, iridescent metal, found near ...

Ram Mohan looks at how bismuth — a remarkably harmless element among the toxic heavy metals in the periodic table — has sparked interest in areas varying from medicinal to industrial chemistry.