Orange-yellow, yellow, honey-yellow, reddish-orange, rarely colorless, grey, brown, olive-green and even black
Crystal habit
Thin tabular to pyramidal
Twinning
Twins on the [001] common
Cleavage
On {011}, distinct; on {001}, {013}, indistinct
Fracture
Irregular to sub-conchoidal
Tenacity
Brittle
Mohs scale hardness
3
Luster
Adamantine, resinous
Streak
White
Diaphaneity
Transparent to opaque
Specific gravity
6.5–7.0
Optical properties
Uniaxial (−), may be anomalously biaxial
Refractive index
nω = 2.405 nε = 2.283
Birefringence
δ = 0.122
Pleochroism
Weak; orange and yellow
Ultraviolet fluorescence
None
Other characteristics
Specimens may be piezoelectric
References
[2][3][4]
Wulfenite is a lead molybdate mineral with the formula PbMoO4. It often occurs as thin tabular crystals with a bright orange-red to yellow-orange color, sometimes brown, although the color can be highly variable. In its yellow form it is sometimes called "yellow lead ore".
It crystallizes in the tetragonal system, often occurring as stubby, pyramidal or tabular crystals. It also occurs as earthy, granular masses. It is found in many localities, associated with lead ores as a secondary mineral associated with the oxidized zone of lead deposits. It is also a secondary ore of molybdenum, and is sought by collectors.
Wulfenite is a lead molybdate mineral with the formula PbMoO4. It often occurs as thin tabular crystals with a bright orange-red to yellow-orange color...
the emission of light when an object is cooled (an example of this is wulfenite) Photoluminescence, a result of the absorption of photons Fluorescence...
which it is often found. Though molybdenum is found in such minerals as wulfenite (PbMoO4) and powellite (CaMoO4), the main commercial source is molybdenite...
limonitic matrix is the host for bi-pyramidal, brownish-red crystals of wulfenite Crystallized groutite scattered about a hollow vug In a vug of limonite...
association with the lead sulfide, galena. Other associated minerals include wulfenite, limonite, and barite. It was originally discovered in Mexico by the Spanish...
minerals that may be found with it may include cerussite, litharge, minium, wulfenite, valentinite and limonite. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral...
type locality it occurs with uraninite, molybdenite, galena, zircon and wulfenite. Tugarinovite was first described for an occurrence in the Lenskoye molybdenum–uranium...
Saxifraga moschata, and Stellaria bulbosa. In 1845 the lead molybdate mineral wulfenite was named in his honor by Wilhelm Karl von Haidinger. Wulfen was born...
lead-bearing veins. Associated minerals include dioptase, fornacite, wulfenite, mimetite, cerussite and diaboleite. It was first described in 1970 for...
the whole of France. It is furthermore one of the very few sites for wulfenite in France. As a rarity occurs the pseudomineral ozocerite. The cerussite...
among mineral collectors for producing exceptionally fine specimens of wulfenite. "-". Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México. Instituto Nacional para...
especially sandstones. Associated minerals are descloizite, duftite, mimetite, wulfenite, cerussite, azurite and dioptase. Australia, Kintore open cut: Mottramite...
Statutes, retrieved 2019-05-25 Ascarza, William (February 11, 2019), "Wulfenite, Arizona's state mineral, is theme for current Tucson gem show", Arizona...
hemimorphite, plattnerite, aurichalcite, rosasite, fluorite, calcite, wulfenite, mimetite and other species. It is also the type locality for paradamite...
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