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Formula: Pb5(VO4)3Cl
Anhydrous vanadate containing halogen,
apatite group,
apatite supergroup
Crystal System: Hexagonal
Specific gravity: 6.88 measured, 6.95 calculated
Hardness: 3
Streak: White, yellowish
Colour: Yellow, brown, orange, red
Solubility: Moderately soluble in hydrochloric acid; readily soluble in nitric acid
Common impurities: P,As,Ca
Environments:
Vanadinite is a rare secondary mineral found in the
oxidation zone of high temperature hydrothermal lead deposits in arid climates,
associated with other secondary
lead minerals. The vanadium is leached
from wall-rock silicates.
Associated minerals include mimetite,
pyromorphite, descloizite,
limonite, mottramite,
wulfenite, cerussite,
anglesite, calcite,
baryte and iron oxides
(HOM, Mindat).
Vanadinite crystallises in the hexagonal system, point group 6/m. Crystals are common, mostly prismatic with
forms {1010} and {0001} or tabular parallel to {0001}
(OJ).
Localities
At the Cruz del Sur mine, Veinticinco de Mayo Department, Río Negro Province, Argentina, The
lead-zinc-copper
deposits occur as fissure-filling veins at the boundary between andesite
and rhyolite. The oxidation zone contains many
secondary minerals including vanadinite
(AM 63.1175-1181).
At the Braeside lead field, East Pilbara Shire, Western Australia, vanadinite occurs as a
secondary mineral on exposed surfaces and in cavities, associated
with pyromorphite, descloizite
and mottramite. Some samples occur as hoppered prisms consisting party of a
solid frame of vanadinite up to 10 microns wide filled by a mixture of iron
oxides, pyromorphite, vanadinite and
kaolinite
(AJM 13.2.61-62).
At the Shangri La Mine, Kununurra, Wyndham-East Kimberley Shire, Western Australia, vanadinite occurs as
mm sized crystals that encrust quartz, and may be associated with
mottramite
(AJM 16.1.22).
At the Apex mine, San Carlos, Manuel Benavides Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico, well crystallised specimens of
vanadinite to 6 cm occur as simple hexagonal prisms, in some cases modified by pyramid faces and commonly
hoppered. The orange-red to red-brown or brown crystals of vanadinite are commonly intergrown with small
translucent white calcite crystals
(Minrec 39.6.62).
Vanadinite from the Apex Mine - Image
At Touissit, Oujda, Morocco, mimetite
pseudomorphs after vanadinite have been found with
mottramite
(KL p207).
Vanadinite from Touissit - Image
At the Abenab Mine, Grootfontein, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia, the largest vanadinite crystals in the world,
over 12 cm long, have been collected; the crystals tend to have an inner red vanadinite core with an outer
coating of grey-green descloizite
(BC).
Vanadinite from Abenab - Image
At the Renéville Mine, Renéville, Kindanba District, Pool Department, Republic of the Congo, vanadinite
crystals are very rare at Renéville; they show the typical hexagonal prismatic habit with pyramidal to pinacoidal
terminations and yellow to deep orange colour. Crystal size ranges from less than 1 mm to around 7 mm. A sample of
has been found with dark red crystals of vanadinite encrusted with
descloizite
(MinRec 55.4.436).
Vanadinite from Renéville - Image
At the Kafferskraal Farm, Ngaka Modiri Molema District, North West, South Africa, vanadinite crystals to
1 cm occur associated with cerussite,
galena, minium,
pyromorphite and massicot
(BC).
Vanadinite from the Kafferskraal Farm -
Image
At the Whitwell quarry, Derbyshire, England, UK, vanadinite occurs on a
baryte-phosphohedyphane
matrix
(RES p139).
Vanadinite from the Whitwell Quarry -
Image
At the Judkins quarry, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, UK, vanadinite occurs with
mottramite
(RES p325).
Vanadinite from the Judkins Quarry - Image
From Wanlockhead, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK, sample BM.1964,R8179 from the Natural History Museum, London,
features lustrous, pale brown, glogular aggregates of intergrown heagonal prismatic crystals of vanadinite,
richly scattered over a matrix of cream to grey vanadinite and
mottramite
(RES2 p130).
Vanadinite from Wanlockhead - Image
At the Red Cloud mine, Arizona, USA, vanadinite pseudomorphs after
wulfenite have been found
(KL p207).
Vanadinite from the Red Cloud Mine -
Image
At the Kabwe mine, Central Province, Zambia, vanadinite is associated with
hopeite and descloizite
(R&M 94.2.142-143).
Vanadinite from Kabwe - Image
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