Where Bismuth is Found
The largest deposits of bismuth are found in Bolivia, but Mexico, Peru, China, Belgium and Japan are also large producers. Bismuth is usually obtained as a by-product of mining and refining elements such as lead, copper, tin, silver and gold. It can also be found in it's pure elemental form, although this rarely occurs. Bismuth occurs freely in nature, and in bismuthinite and bismite.
Appearance and properties
Pure bismuth is a white, crystal-like, brittle metal with a pinkish or yellowish tinge. It also forms crystals when heated and then cooled, which look like the image below. Bismuth crystals are a crystal form called rhombohedral. Bismuth has a surprisingly high electrical resistance, meaning it doesn't conduct electricity well. With the exception of mercury, bismuth has the lowest thermal conductivity of any metal. Bismuth also has an uncommon property that it expands as it freezes, much like water does. Only four other elements share this property: silicon, gallium, antimony and germanium.
This video shows bismuth crystals and explains how they form