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Formula: PbMoO4
Molybdate,
scheelite group, forms a solid-solution series with
stolzite
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 6.5 to 7.5 measured, 6.88 calculated
Hardness: 3
Streak: White
Colour: Yellow to orange-red, blue, grey
Solubility: Slightly soluble in hydrochloric, sulphuric and nitric acid
Common impurities: W,Ca,V,As,Cr,W,Ti
Environments:
Carbonatites
Hydrothermal environments (typical)
Wulfenite is a secondary mineral that generally forms
in massive
hydrothermal replacement deposits. It is also found in the oxidation zone of
hypothermal (high temperature) lead veins
with other secondary lead minerals, especially
cerussite,
vanadinite and
pyromorphite, and in carbonatites.
Localities
At the Jianshan Mine, Shanshan county, Turpan, Xinjiang, China, outstanding specimens of reddish wulfenite
have been found
(Mindat photo).
Wulfenite from the Jianshan Mine - Image
At the Nakhlak Mine, Anarak District, Nain County, Isfahan Province, Iran, epigenetic (formed later than the
surrounding or underlying rock formation) vein deposits and metasomatic replacement bodies are hosted by a chalky
Upper Cretaceous (100.5 to 66 million years ago) limestone. The
limestone underwent
dolomitisation prior to sulphide mineralisation. The principal
primary ore mineral is
galena, associated with minor or trace amounts of
sphalerite, tetrahedrite
-tennantite, pyrite and
chalcopyrite as inclusions. The main
secondary ore mineral is
cerussite, sometimes associated with minor amounts of
anglesite, plattnerite,
wulfenite, minium,
mimetite, covellite,
chalcanthite, malachite and
goethite. Many trace elements are present in the
primary galena, but
most notably it is rich in silver and
antimony and poor in bismuth.
Although much rarer at the mine than cerussite, occasional pockets of
rather fine wulfenite specimens have been collected. Wulfenite occurs as typical square tablets up to
2 cm or so, modified by pyramid faces. Trace amounts of silicon, tungsten,
calcium and vanadium have been detected in the wulfenite. The colour
ranges from yellow and yellow-orange to red-orange and bright red.
Attractive specimens of bright red wulfenite have also come from the Chah-Kharboze mine, just 6 or 7 km south
of Nakhlak. The Chah-Milleh mine, about 6 km south of Chah-Kharboze, has produced attractive red-orange
wulfenite crystals, some with red-orange mimetite balls, and the
Chah-Khouni and Kale-Kafi mines, located about 40 km east-southeast of Nakhlak, have produced orange to yellow,
tabular to pyramidal wulfenite crystals up to 3 cm on edge
(Minrec 54.3.383-408).
Wulfenite from Nakhlak - Image
At the Erupcion-Ahumada mine, Los Lamentos, Chihuahua, Mexico, wulfenite occurs on a massive
limestone matrix, and a boulder of
calcite covered with wulfenite crystals has been found there.
Pseudomorphs of
vanadinite after wulfenite have also been found, as well as
vanadinite on hemimorphite
that has replaced wulfenite
(R&M 94.1.40-41, 58).
Wulfenite from the Erupcion-Ahumada mine -
Image
At the Apex mine, San Carlos, Manuel Benavides, Chihuahua, Mexico, wulfenite is found on
dolomite (R&M 94.1.38).
Wulfenite from the Apex Mine - Image
At the Ojuela mine, Mapimi, Mexico, wulfenite is associated with
mimetite and
mottramite, and some specimens have
calcite
crystals perched on them. Pseudomorphs of
quartz after wulfenite, associated with
smithsonite have been found here, as well as
pseudomorphs of
duftite after wulfenite associated with
calcite, mimetite and
goethite (R&M 94.1.36-37, 58).
Wulfenite from the Ojuela Mine - Image
At the San Francisco mine, Rancho Cerro Prieto, Near Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico, wulfenite is associated with
mimetite and may be replaced by it, forming
pseudomorphs of mimetite
after wulfenite
(R&M 94.1.43-44, 58, KL p28).
Wulfenite from the San Francisco mine -
Image
At the Tsumeb mine, Namibia, pseudomorphs of
bayldonite,
conichalcite, dolomite,
malachite, smithsonite,
stolzite, mottramite and
duftite after wulfenite have been found, but they are extremely rare
(R&M 94.1.54-59, KL p203). Pseudomorphs of wulfenite after
anglesite
have also been found here (KL p216). Wulfenite has been found as an encrustation on the termination of
a crystal of an
arsentsumebite (or possibly
bayldonite)
replacement after mimetite (R&M 94.1.71-72). Very common associates
are
calcite, dolomite,
duftite, malachite and
mimetite. Moderately common associates are
azurite, cerussite,
dioptase, goethite,
hematite, mottramite,
quartz and smithsonite. Rare or very
rare associates are adamite,
alamosite,
anglesite, aragonite,
arsentsumebite, bayldonite,
beudantite, biehlite,
conichalcite, copper,
cuprite, devilline,
feinglosite, kaolinite,
kegelite, leadhillite,
lukrahnite,
molybdofornacite,
olivenite, rhodochrosite,
rosasite, scorodite,
serpierite, tenorite,
tsumcorite, willemite,
zincgartrellite and
zincolivenite
(R&M 94.1.77).
Two commonly observed parageneses for wulfenite are:
goethite > wulfenite >
mimetite >
malachite, and
(hematite plus goethite) >
wulfenite (i)
> duftite > wulfenite (ii)
A third, rare paragenesis is:
primary sulphides > wulfenite > alamosite >
kegelite > leadhillite >
cerussite
(R&M 94.1.78).
Wulfenite from Tsumeb - Image
At the Sachaverel farm, Winster, Derbyshire, England, UK, wulfenite is associated with
pyromorphite, galena and
fluorite
(RES p109).
At Breedon quarry, Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire, England, UK, wulfenite is associated with
galena and cerussite
(RES p203).
At Roar Hill, Ballater, Buchan Grampian, Scotland, UK, lead-bearing vein
mineralisation was exposed during recent work carried out on an unmetalled vehicle track. A small temporary quarry
exposed fluorite-bearing quartz
veins and minor wulfenite in light-coloured granite. At a
second site,
a little further to the west, an oxidised galena-bearing
quartz vein was exposed.
Near end-member wulfenite was identified by X-ray diffraction in vein
quartz at both locations. At the quarry exposure it occurs as bright orange
to red tabular to bipyramidal crystals, easily visible to the naked eye, covering areas of colourless to smoky
quartz matrix up to 6 mm across. Similar specimens were found at the track
exposure, where wulfenite is commonly associated with pyromorphite
(JRS 22.30-37).
In Arizona, USA, wulfenite crystals may be coated by younger minerals, frequently
quartz,
calcite and second generation wulfenite
(R&M 94.1.12).
At the Hilltop mine, Cochise county, Arizona, USA, wulfenite often occurs on
calcite
(R&M 94.1.18).
Wulfenite from the Hilltop Mine - Image
At the Silver Bill-Mystery mine, Cochise county, Arizona, USA, wulfenite commonly occurs with a coating of
calcite (R&M 94.1.12).
Wulfenite from the Silver Bill Mine - Image
At the Finch mine, Gila county, Arizona, USA, wulfenite typically occurs as crystals coated with a microcrystalline
quartz druse. Pseudomorphs of quartz,
hemimorphite, descloizite and
vanadinite after wulfenite have also been found here, and associated
minerals include
calcite
(R&M 94.1.14 and 57, KL p253).
Wulfenite from the Finch Mine - Image
At the 79 mine, Gila county, Arizona, USA, pseudomorphs of
quartz and
hemimorphite after wulfenite have been found (R&M 94.1.57).
Wulfenite from the 79 Mine - Image
At the Red Cloud mine, La Paz county, Arizona, USA, vanadinite
pseudomorphs after wulfenite have been found
(KL p209).
Wulfenite from the Red Cloud Mine - Image
At the Total Wreck mine, Pima county, Arizona, USA, Pseudomorphs of mottramite
after wulfenite have been found (R&M 94.1.28, 58).
Wulfenite from the Total Wreck Mine - Image
At the Childs-Adwinkle Mine, Copper Creek, Copper Creek, Pinal county, Arizona, USA, wulfenite occurs as well formed crystals
to 1 mm associated with brochantite, libethenite,
malachite and azurite
(R&M 96.2.155-156).
Wulfenite from the Childs-Adwinkle Mine -
Image
At the Mammoth-Saint Anthony mine, Pinal county, Arizona, USA, wulfenite is sometimes associated with
mimetite and other secondary minerals such as
sauconite, dioptase and
cerussite. Pseudomorphs of
descloizite after wulfenite have been found here
(R&M 94.1.18, 58).
Wulfenite from the Mammoth-Saint Anthony mine -
Image
At the Rowley mine, Maricopa county, Arizona, USA, wulfenite commonly occurs on a
baryte
matrix associated with mimetite (R&M 94.1.23). Pseudomorphs of
vanadinite after wulfenite have been found here (R&M 94.1.28).
Wulfenite from the Rowley Mine - Image
At the Glove mine, Santa Cruz county, Arizona, USA, wulfenite sometimes occurs with inclusions or coatings of manganese
oxide minerals, or it may be replaced by them (R&M 94.1.14-18). Pseudomorphs of
descloizite and mottramite after
wulfenite have been found here (R&M 94.1.28).
Wulfenite from the Glove Mine - Image
At Trumbull, Connecticut, USA, wulfenite pseudomorphs after
scheelite have been found
(KL p217).
At the Old Soldier mine, Churchill Mining District, Lyon County, Nevada, USA, wulfenite is associated with
blue linarite and green brochantite
and overgrown by late-stage colourless cerussite
(Mindat photo)
Wulfenite from the Old Soldier Mine -
Image
At the Red Cloud copper mine, Gallinas Mountains, Red Cloud District, Lincoln county, New Mexico, USA, wulfenite
is associated with
mottramite, vanadinite and
mimetite (R&M 94.1.65).
Wulfenite from the Red Cloud copper mine -
Image
At the Surprise mine, Luna county, New Mexico, USA, wulfenite has been found on
galena that has been partially altered to
cerussite (R&M 94.1.65, R&M 94.3.236-237).
Wulfenite from the Surprise Mine - Image
From the Anira mine, Santa Fe county, New Mexico, USA, a specimen of massive wulfenite with minor iron gossan and
calcite has been found (R&M 94.1.65).
At the Big Chief mine, Sierra county, New Mexico, USA, wulfenite has been found associated with
vanadinite (R&M 94.1.65).
Wulfenite from the Big Chief Mine - Image
At the Macy mine, Sierra county, New Mexico, USA, wulfenite is found on
limestone
(R&M 94.1.62).
Wulfenite from the Macy Mine - Image
At the Petroglyph mine, Sierra county, New Mexico, USA, wulfenite is often coated with
chalcedony (R&M 94.1.65).
Wulfenite from the Petroglyph Mine - Image
From the Graphic mine, Socorro county, New Mexico, USA, a specimen has been found with wulfenite on
malachite (R&M 94.1.63).
Wulfenite from the Graphic Mine - Image
At the Lemitar mountains, Sorocco county, New Mexico, USA, wulfenite is often associated with
fluorite and cerussite
(R&M 94.1.65).
Wulfenite from the Lemitar Mountains - Image
At the Mex-Tex and Blanchard mines, Socorro county, New Mexico, USA, some wulfenite
pseudomorphs after
galena have been found (R&M 94.1.64).
Wulfenite from the Mex-Tex Mine - Image
At the Ora tunnel and Hickey mine, Socorro county, New Mexico, USA, wulfenite has been found on
baryte and fluorite, and associated with
oxidised galena (R&M 94.1.64).
At the Kabwe mine, Central Province, Zambia, wulfenite is extremely rare, but it has been found in a cavity
with quartz (R&M).
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