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Stolzite forms a series with the more common Wulfenite,
which
contains molybdenum in place of the tungsten. It is very similar to Wulfenite, though often with a paler color, (although Stolzite may also be as brightly colored as Wulfenite). Stolzite specimens are rare to encounter and generally come from localities no longer producing, making this mineral a highly desirable and expensive classic among minerals. Stolzite is named in
honor of Czech mineralogist Joseph A. Stolz (1803-1896). |
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Chemical Formula |
PbWO4 |
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Composition |
Lead tungstate |
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Color |
Cream, tan, beige, yellow, orange, and brown. Rarely gray to white. |
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Streak |
White |
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Hardness |
2.5 - 3 |
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Crystal System |
Tetragonal |
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Crystal Forms
and Aggregates |
Crystals are usually dipyramidal, though often with flattened terminations. Also tabular in both thin or thick form, and often with growth layers, or octagonal corners. Crystals are sometimes striated. Also grainy, encrusting, and in dense groups of dipyramidal crystals. Occasionally in well-formed pseudo-octahedral crystals, possibly as a Scheelite pseudomorph.
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Transparency |
Transparent to translucent |
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Specific Gravity |
8.3 - 8.4 |
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Luster |
Adamantine, resinous |
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Cleavage |
2,1 |
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Fracture |
Subconchoidal to uneven |
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Tenacity |
Brittle |
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Other ID Marks |
May be fluorescent yellow in shortwave UV light, and dark orange-red to red in longwave. |
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In Group |
Tungstates and Molybdates |
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Striking Features |
Color, crystal habits, and mode of occurence. |
| Environment |
As a secondary mineral in hydrothermal replacement lead deposits rich in tungsten. |
| Rock Type |
Sedimentary, Metamorphic |
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Popularity (1-4)
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3 |
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Prevalence (1-3)
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3 |
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Demand (1-3) |
1 |
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Stolzite is a rare and desirable collectors mineral. It is a minor ore of tungsten in tungsten deposits.
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One of the finest Stolzite localities, having produced some of the largest, brightly-lustered, cream-colored crystals, is the Sainte-Lucie Mine, in St Léger-de-Peyre, France. Small orange crystals come from the Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Black Forest, Germany; and dense aggregates came from Zinnwald, Saxony, Germany; and right across the border in the same deposit in Cínovec, Bohemia, Czech Republic.
In Australia, bright orange crystals were famous at Broken Hill, New South Wales; and small crystals were found in the Kara Mines, Hampshire, Tasmania.
In the U.S., exceptional, pseudo-octahedral crystals of Stolzite, that were once actually thought to be Scheelite, came from Darwin, Inyo Co., California. Thin platy crystals come from the Fat Jack Mine, near Crown King, Yavapai Co., Arizona; and small white crystals from the Black Pine Mine, Philipsburg District, Granite Co., Montana.
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Have a question about Stolzite? Visit our Q&A Community and ask the experts!
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