{"title":"Wulfenite","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWulfenite\u003c\/strong\u003e is a lead molybdate mineral with the chemical formula PbMoO4, prized above almost any other species for its saturated color and razor-sharp geometry. It crystallizes in the tetragonal system, which gives it a characteristic tabular or square crystal habit, with thin, plate-like crystals that often have sharp, square edges, occasionally forming pyramidal, bipyramidal, or pseudo-cubic crystals instead. Colors run from orange-yellow, yellow, honey-yellow, and reddish-orange to rarely colourless, grey, brown, olive-green and even black, with an adamantine to resinous luster. It is a soft, dense species — Mohs hardness of 2.5-3, and specific gravity between 6.5 and 7.0 — that forms as a secondary mineral in the oxidized zones of lead deposits. The species is named after the Austrian Jesuit \u003cstrong\u003eFranz Xaver von Wulfen\u003c\/strong\u003e, and Bad Bleiberg, a village near Villach in Carinthia, Austria, is the type locality, where Wulfen first studied and described the lead ores in his 1785 monograph. American \u003cstrong\u003ewulfenite\u003c\/strong\u003e specimens are dominated by Arizona: the \u003cstrong\u003eRed Cloud Mine\u003c\/strong\u003e in the \u003cstrong\u003eSilver District\u003c\/strong\u003e of La Paz County is world-famous for strikingly bright, reddish-orange crystals, while the nearby \u003cstrong\u003eRowley Mine\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eOld Yuma Mine\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eMammoth-Saint Anthony Mine\u003c\/strong\u003e have all produced classic cabinet pieces. Mexico contributes some of the finest material worldwide: Villa Ahumada, Sierra De Los Lamentos, Chihuahua yields thick, blocky crystals, the San Francisco Mine near Cucurpe, Sonora produces thin transparent yellow crystals, and the Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango is known for elongated rectangles and tapering prisms, often associated with green Mimetite. In Morocco, \u003cstrong\u003eMibladen\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eTouissit\u003c\/strong\u003e are prolific producers of sharp orange crystals often associated with vanadinite and cerussite, while \u003cstrong\u003eTsumeb\u003c\/strong\u003e in Namibia is a classic locality that produced crystals of wulfenite with lighter color than other occurrences. Other notable sources include the \u003cstrong\u003eKuruktag Mountains\u003c\/strong\u003e of Xinjiang, China, \u003cstrong\u003eM'fouati\u003c\/strong\u003e in the Congo, and \u003cstrong\u003eMount Peca\u003c\/strong\u003e in Slovenia. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollectors chase \u003cstrong\u003ewulfenite\u003c\/strong\u003e for the same reasons Wulfen's contemporaries did: few minerals combine such geometric perfection with such vivid, gem-like translucency. The \u003cstrong\u003eRed Cloud Mine\u003c\/strong\u003e alone yielded over 21,000 tons of ore and thousands of specimens of accessory wulfenite, one of which was even honored on a 1992 US postage stamp. Chemically, wulfenite sits within a solid-solution series toward \u003cstrong\u003estolzite\u003c\/strong\u003e (lead tungstate), with tungsten-rich intermediates known as \u003cstrong\u003echillagite\u003c\/strong\u003e, and it is closely related to \u003cstrong\u003escheelite\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003epowellite\u003c\/strong\u003e among molybdate minerals. Because each locality tends to produce a distinctive habit and hue — from the blood-red plates of Arizona to the pale honey tones of Tsumeb — seasoned collectors can often identify origin at a glance, making provenance and locality data central to any serious wulfenite collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"wulfenite-yellow-tabular-crystals-touissit-morocco","title":"WULFENITE – Aesthetic Yellow Crystals on Matrix, Touissit, Morocco","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking wulfenite specimen from the historic Touissit-Bou Beker mining district in Morocco, showing well-formed yellow tabular crystals evenly distributed across the matrix. The bright, adamantine luster of the wulfenite plates creates a pleasing contrast against the host rock, giving the piece strong aesthetic balance and collector appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 69 x 52 x 42 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 132 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Touissit, Touissit-Bou Beker mining district, Jerada Province, Oriental Region, Morocco\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45609926590573,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260527183250.jpg?v=1786529459"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.italmineral.com\/collections\/wulfenite.oembed","provider":"ITALMINERAL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}