Mineralpedia Details for Hubnerite

Named for Hüttenmeister Adolph Hübner, metallurgist from Freiberg, Germany. Widespread and occurs most commonly in high temperature vein deposits. A characteristic mineral of numerous mesothermal to epithermal ore vein deposits. Less commonly in pegmatites and Sn - W deposits. Crystals appear brownish black but are usually deep red as long bladed to thick tabular in parallel or divergent groups, striated needles. Notable localities include Sweet Home mine and at Silverton in Colorado; Pasto Bueno, Peru; Reinbold pegmatite, near Hill City, SD; Zongo Valley pegmatites, La Paz Dept., Bolivia; and Horni Slavkov, Bohemia, Czech Republic. Hubnerite is the less common end-member of the Wolframite series.

Ref. Minerals and their Localities, Bernard, J.H. and Hyršl, J. (2004).

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/hubnerite.pdf

Formula

Mn²⁺WO₄ 

Crystal System

Monoclinic 

Crystal Habit

Prismatic, Lamellar, Massive - Granular 

Cleavage

Perfect, None, None 

Luster

Sub Metallic 

Color

brown, reddish brown, brownish black 

Streak

reddish brown 

Class

Monoclinic - Prismatic 

Fracture

Brittle 

Hardness

4.5 

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Dark brownish red, thin platy crystals to 3cm embedded in Quartz matrix.

Thin bladed brownish black crystals to 4cm in Quartz.

Black or deep red thich tabular crytsals to 4cm with Quartz.

Thin bladed reddish crystals to 1.5cm.

A cut specimen which shows rich mineralization od red blades of Hubnerite, an ore of tungsten. Crystals are embedded and reach 5cm. A sticker shows the origin and date of 1951.

This specimen was collected personally by Arnold Hampson in 1962. Manganiferous Wolframite has been known to occur in the Ophir district since the 1940's. Eckel (1961) states that the San Juan Mountains contain the most significant and richest occurence in the State. The Wolframite is at or near the Mn end of the Hubnerite-Ferberite series and thus is probably Hubnerite. It is widely distributed in Quartz veins in the Silverton district and elsewhere in the San Juans. 

The specimen contains an abundance of tiny 1-2mm sharp, lustrous, black blades. Excellent specimen from this locality.

Deep reddish brown thin, tabular crystals of Hubnerite to 6mm. Several of the crystals are outstanding and show good terminations and striations. Rich specimen. A favorable locality for this tungstate from Colorado which boast probably more tungsten localities than any other state.

The Uncompahgre mining district is part of the larger Ouray mining district and located south of Ouray in the San Juan Mountains. Over $14 million of gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc has been mined from the district, an area of about 15 square miles. Burbank & Luedke (2008) USGS PP 1753 does not mention any production of tungsten from the district. However it should be noted, according to Eckel (1961), this district was the first reported occurence of Hubnerite in the United States in 1875. 

This specimen is specifically from the Zannet Tunnel, which was driven in 1981. The mine itself started in 1875. Though this is not a historic specimen, any serious Colorado collector should have a specimen of Hubnerite from this district.

Fine deep red bladed crystals to 4mm on TN size matrix. Excellent specimen for this mine.