Mineralpedia Details for Wulfenite

Franz Xavier Wulfen, mineralogist and author of a monograph on lead ores of Bleiberg, Austria, has the honor of having Wulfenite named after him. A common secondary mineral in hydrothermal systems with over 1,000 localities worldwide, Wulfenite occurs in the oxidized zones of lead deposits where molybdenum is commonly externally introduced. Individual Wulfenite crystals can be piezoelectric, meaning they can gain a charge in response to pressure. Yellow fluorescence in long-wave ultraviolet light has been observed in Wulfenites from a few localities.

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

Formula

PbMoO₄ 

Crystal System

Tetragonal 

Crystal Habit

Tabular, Pyramidal 

Cleavage

Imperfect, None, None 

Luster

Resinous - Greasy 

Color

orange yellow, waxy yellow, yellowish gray, olive green, brown 

Streak

yellowish white 

Class

Tetragonal - Dipyramidal 

Fracture

Brittle - Conchoidal 

Hardness

3 

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Steep pryamidal yellowish tan, sharp crystals to 8mm and light yellow, thin tabular crystals to 3mm.

An amber brown large well formed, complete crystal. From the 3rd oxidation zone. Ex. Gebhard, excellent specimen.

Bright orange tabular crystals to 5mm with dipyrimidal terminations.

Dipyramidal crystals to 2-3mm

Wulfenite crystals to 6mm frosted over with drusy Quartz.

Large elongated dipyrimadal, dark orange crystal to 1.2cm and thick tabular crystals to 2cm.

5 to 9mm orange tabular crystals.

Dark orange dipyrimidal crystals mostly to about 2mm.

Blue well-formed, tabular Wulfenite crystals to about 0.75mm within vugs of Arsenopyrite, which is coating decayed Galena. These have been confrmed by XRD and the blue coloration has been shown to be due to about 3.7% copper. This specimen came out of the Jungles collection and it is not known where in the mine it was found.

Bright orange, tabular crystals of Wulfenite to 3mm, most are 1-2mm, with fiery orange, acicular sprays of Mimetite to 1mm.

Thin bladed bright orange Wulfenite crystals to 6mm associated and with yellow, acicular Mimetite crystals.

Orange, dipyramidal crystals, up to 5mm.

Yellow-orange, prismatic, tabular Wulfenite crystals. Up to 3mm.

Glassy yellow, dipyramidal crystals to 1.5mm.

Orange 1mm thin tabular crystal.

Last three photos are 2-5mm crystals with Chrysocolla.

Deep orange micro, dipyrimidal crystals of Wulfenite scattered on Torbernite matrix.

Special Info

Phillips Collection

Orange tabular crystals from 1 to 4mm.

Thin yellow Wulfenite crystals to 6mm perched on matrix, associated with Dolomite.

Complex crystals to 1cm.

Orange tabular pyramidal crystals to 7mm.

A flashy specimen of orange 1mm Wulfenite crystals with orange balls of Mimetite on Chrysocolla.

Yellow-orange tabular crystals to 4mm.

Bright orange tabular Wulfenite crystals to 3mm with yellow-orange fiery Mimetite all on Baryte.

Orange tabular crystals of Wulfenite to 1mm.

Deep, bright orange tabular crystals to 7mm. 

A 0.25mm micro crystal of Wulfenite on the matrix. 

Orange carmel colored thick tabular crystals of Wulfenite from 3-8mm. Good luster, showy. Los Lamentos Wulfenite is one of the better and more coveted localities, which are forever disappearing from the market.

Burnt orange square prismatic crystals to 2-3mm. It's an older piece from the old days.

Elongated dipyramidal crystals to 1.3cm. This is a large specimen full of good crystals, which are color zoned.

Exceptional specimen of olive colored, tabular Wulfenite crystals to 0.9mm with classic sandwich-like habit. I don't believe I have seen this style of Wulfenite from anywhere but Ojuela.

Several 3-4mm dipyramidal crystals of Wulfenite.

Bright, lustrous discoidal Wulfenite crystals to 6mm. 

Bright orange crusts and tiny, 1mm and less, crystals.

Orange tabular crystals of Wulfenite to 1mm with neat outer color zoning.

Deep reddish orange, square tabular crystalsto 6mm. Very nice miniature.