Wulfenite

Object/Artifact

-

Crater Rock Museum

Name/Title

Wulfenite

Entry/Object ID

2014.1.64

Description

Chemical Composition: Al(OH)3 Crystal System: Hexagonal System Description: Common Name: Wulfenite Chemistry: PbMoO4, Group: Sulfides Location: San Francisco Mountains, Mexico Description: Small specimen with bladed crystals covering most of the specimen. Color is dark yellow. Physical Charateristics: Color is red, orange, yellow, silver and white. • Luster is vitreous. • Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent. • Crystal System is tetragonal; 4/m or 4 • Crystal Habits include very thin square or octahedral pinacoidal plates with pyramidal faces truncating just the edges of the crystal. At times the pyramids become prominant and psuedo-dipyramidal crystal habits are seen, sometimes because of twinning. Prismatic faces are also seen and can make psuedo-cubic crystals. Also encrusting and cavernous aggregates due to intergrowth of crystal plates. Cleavage is perfect in one direction. • Fracture is conchoidal. • Hardness is 3. • Specific Gravity is approximately 6.8 (very heavy for translucent minerals) • Streak is white. • Associated Minerals are mimetite, limonite, smithsonite, vanadinite and galena. • Other Characteristics: index of refraction is 2.28-2.40 (very high, but typical of lead minerals). • Notable Occurances include Morocco; Tsumeb, Nambia; Mexico and Arizona and New Mexico, USA. • Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, color, density and luster. Hardness: 7 Quartz Rock Type: Sedimentary

Collection

RAGM Mineral Collection

Acquisition

Accession

2014.1

Source or Donor

Crater Rock Museum (unknown donors)

Acquisition Method

Gift

Dimensions

Height

3 in

Width

2 in

Length

2-1/4 in

Location

Location

Shelf

2nd Row

Cabinet

Case# 20

Wall

West

Building

Freida Smith Hall

Category

Permanent