Can you help make this a better article? What good localities have we missed? Can you supply pictures of better specimens than those we show here? Can you give us more and better information about the specimens from these localities? Can you supply better geological or historical information on these localities?
Wulfenite
PbMoO4 tetragonal
Mindat currently lists about 1300 localities for wulfenite, but only a tiny fraction of those localities produce crystals that are of interest to collectors. There may be something like a dozen localities that have produced really fine specimens and of those, the crystals from the Red Cloud Mine in Arizona, USA are perhaps the most highly regarded by collectors. For some reason, many of the good wulfenite producing localities are found in Southern Arizona, and Northern Mexico. Why they should have been concentrated here is open to speculation. It is usually not a robust mineral, and if you have specimens of it, you should treat them gently, for many of them are quite fragile. Perhaps the most robust of them are the highly regarded blocky orange crystals from Los Lamentos, Mexico. Which are really the best? Well you will have to look at the eye candy below and make up your own mind. Keep in mind that the pictures shown are only of specimens that have been uploaded to the mindat image gallery and that in many cases there are better specimens lurking out there. Sometimes, when Wulfenite is found in mines, it is found in large quantities and tons of specimens are available, but most of the time they are shipped off to the smelter. The largest size for Wulfenite is listed as 11cm in the Handbook of Mineralogy. Dick Bideaux, the principal author of this work, had a substantial interest in wulfenite and though he does not say which locality produced the 11 cm crystal I suspect that it was from the Glove mine in Arizona. I also think that crystals this large and larger have been produced at Mvouti (M'Fouati), Mvouti Prefecture, Kouilou Region, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville)
Wulfenite
Argentina
Río Negro, Sierra Grande, Complejo Gonzalito district, Gonzalito mine
Wulfenite
Australia
Western Australia, Pilbara Region, Roebourne Shire, Whim Creek
The Wulfenite specimen thus far produced in Australia are quite modest compared to Mexico and the USA and tend to be mostly micro crystals, though they have certainly produced some fine micro crystals.
Wulfenite
Austria
Carinthia, Gailtaler Alpen & Karnische Alpen Mts, Bleiberg District, Bad Bleiberg, Stefanie Mine
The specimens from various Austrian localities were at one time abundant and should be better know than they are. Be badly need someone more knowledgeable than I to tell us about the specimens from these famous localities.
(Rock Currier 2009)
Wulfenite
Austria
Carinthia, Gailtaler Alpen & Karnische Alpen Mts, Bleiberg District, Heiligengeist, Franz Josef Mine
Wulfenite
Austria
Carinthia, Gailtaler Alpen & Karnische Alpen Mts, Bleiberg District, Heiligengeist, Kadutschen, Alt-Stefanie Mine (dump)
Wulfenite
Austria
Carinthia, Gailtaler Alpen & Karnische Alpen Mts, Kötschach-Mauthen, Dellach, Jaukenhöhe Mt.
Wulfenite
Austria
Carinthia, Karawanken Mts, Hochobir Mt., Zauchen, Schäffler Alp District
Wulfenite
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Stavelot Massif, Vielsalm, Cahai (Cahay), Tier des Carrières
Certainly not great wulfenite specimens, but the white one is quite unusual, but I think that pure lead molybdate should be white if pure. Also, whou would have thought that Belgium would have any Wulfenites at all?
[edit Harjo: Apart from the Stavelot massif Wulfenite has been found in the Quartz veins around Bastogne and Bertrix as well as Richelle]
Wulfenite
Chile
Antofagasta Region, Tocopilla Province, Tocopilla District, Santa Ana Mine (Chapacase Mine)
Wulfenite
Chile
Atacama Region, Copiapó Province, Cachiyuyo de Llampos district, Dulcinea de Llampos Mine
Chile has produced little in the way of Wulfenite specimens. Mostly micro material and perhaps the largest crystals are in the cm range.
Wulfenite
China
Sichuan
Wulfenite
China
Sichuan Province, Liangshan Autonomous Prefecture, Mianning Co., Maoniuping REE deposit
Wulfenite
China
Xinjiang (Xinjiang-Uygur) Autonomous Region, Bayin'gholin (Bayingolin; Bayinguoleng) Autonomous Prefecture, Ruoqiang (Qakilik; Chaqiliq) Co., Jianshan Mine
China has only recently begun to produce specimens of Wulfenite, but from the pictures shown here you can easily understand why most collectors would like to have one in their collection. The demand for these is greater than the supply.
Wulfenite
Czech Republic
Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Ústí Region, Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Krupka (Graupen), Barbora adit, Knöttel (Knötel; Knödel) area
Wulfenite
Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaïre)
Katanga (Shaba), Katanga Copper Crescent, Central area, Shinkolobwe, Shinkolobwe Mine (Kasolo Mine)
So far the only crystals that have been produced by the mines of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are micromounts, but their association with nice crystals of various uranium minerals makes them popular with micromount collectors, if they can get one. Though it is not likely, one wonders if radiation can turn wulfenite black as it does most Quartz crystals.
[Rock Currier, 2009]
Wulfenite
Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaïre)
Katanga (Shaba), Katanga Copper Crescent, Western area, Kolwezi, Musonoi Mine
Wulfenite
France
Rhône-Alpes, Ardèche, Ste Marguerite Lafigère, Rouvière mine
Wulfenite
France
Rhône-Alpes, Rhône, Lantignié, Monterniers Mines
Wulfenite
Germany
Baden-Württemberg, Black Forest, Wolfach, Oberwolfach, Rankach valley, Clara Mine
Wulfenite
Greece
Attikí (Attica; Attika) Prefecture, Lavrion (Laurion; Laurium) District, Lavrion District Mines, Plaka
Wulfenite
Greece
Attikí (Attica; Attika) Prefecture, Lavrion (Laurion; Laurium) District, Lavrion District Mines, Plaka, Plaka Mines, Adami No. 02 Mine ("Adayir" Mine) & Others
Wulfenite
Greece
Attikí (Attica; Attika) Prefecture, Lavrion (Laurion; Laurium) District, Lavrion District Mines, Plaka, Plaka Mine No. 80, Plaka Mines
Wulfenite
Iran
Esfahan Province (Isfahan Province; Aspadana Province), Anarak District, Chah Kharboze (Tchah-Kharboze),Chah Kharboze Mine (Tchah-Kharboze Mine; Chah-Karbuzeh Mine)
This is the best locality in Iran for Wulfenite. It is a small mine and at one time Wulfenite crystals were the main ore of the mine and I was told that women used to gather the crystals in baskets to take to the smelter. In the 70s I went to the mine site and though it had been abandoned for a number of years, one could see thousands of tiny shards of red Wulfenite crystals in the soil at the mine site. I have never seen a crystal from here even as large as one inch, but the crystals were almost all a very intense red color. Not many specimens were saved. At least one group of German collectors made a trip to the mine and collected there before the lower level where the best crystals were found were flooded. Perhaps one of them will tell us the story about their collecting trip there.
[Rock Currier, 2009]
Wulfenite
Iran
Esfahan Province (Isfahan Province; Aspadana Province), Anarak District
Wulfenite
Iran
Esfahan Province (Isfahan Province; Aspadana Province), Anarak District, Madan-e Nakhlak (Ma'dan-e-Nahlak), Nakhlak Mine (Nekhlak Mine)
Wulfenite
Italy
Lombardy, Bergamo Province, Seriana Valley, Riso Valley, Oneta
Wulfenite
Italy
Lombardy, Lecco Province, Abbadia Lariana, Linzanico, Monastero Valley, Cascina Mugarola, "Delle Grigne" Lead Mine
Wulfenite
Italy
Piedmont, Biella Province, Cervo Valley, Quittengo, Le Forche
Wulfenite
Mexico
Chihuahua, Mun. de Ahumada, Los Lamentos Mts (Sierra de Los Lamentos)
This mine is thought by many collectors to have produced the best specimens of Wulfenite of any mine in Mexico, but some think the San Francisco mine produced as good or better specimens. Many of the specimens from the mine were characterized by block orange crystals that have been likened to chunks of caramel candy. Some specimens were more than a foot across. Specimens from this mine were collected and sold to collectors for many years. For many years in the 50 and 60s collectors from the United States, possibly most California and Arizona made collecting trips to this mine and returned with hundreds of specimens that were sold and traded all over the world. Today, even good small specimens from this locality can rarely be found for less than $1000. Crystals rarely exceeded two inches and most of the fine specimens have crystals that are much smaller. As you can see from the pictures above that many different kinds of Wulfenite crystals were produced at this mine.
[Rock Currier 2009]
Wulfenite
Mexico
Chihuahua, Mun. de Coyame, Cuchillo Parado, Aurora Mine
Wulfenite
Mexico
Durango, Mun. de Mapimí, Mapimí, Ojuela Mine
For most of its productive life, the Ojuela mine was better know for Mimetite, Legrandite and Adamite specimens rather than Wulfenite. Most of the Wulfenite produced in the 20th century were limited to very thin yellow and often rather transparent Wulfenite crystals, often in the cm size range, frequently associate with a light green Mimetite. Recently however, a small number of miners/collectors from the nearby town of Mapimi have gone into the old workings and have collected considerable numbers of strikingly good specimens of prismatic pyramidal orange Wulfenite crystals, many of them growing with and on dark green Mimetite. Hundreds of specimens have been produced, and some of the better ones are shown above.
[Rock Currier, 2009]
Wulfenite
Mexico
Sonora, Mun. de Cucurpe, Cucurpe, Cerro Prieto, San Francisco Mine (Cerro Prieto Mine)
In the last part of the 20th century, this mine was exploited by a number of groups of collectors to produce many fine specimens of Wulfenite. The crystals from this mine were almost always thin and delicate and sometimes associated with little red balls of Mimetite which made them particularly attractive to collectors. Today a fine example of Wulfenites form this mine will bring thousands of dollars. Because the Wulfenite crystals from this mine are so delicate, many of the specimens have become chipped and broken.
Wulfenite
Mexico
Sonora, Mun. de Rayón, Rayón, Socorro Mine
Wulfenite
Morocco
Meknès-Tafilalet Region, Khénifra Province, Midelt, Upper Moulouya lead district, Mibladene (Mibladén; Mibladan; Miblanden)
Wulfenite
Morocco
Oriental Region, Oujda-Angad Province, Touissit District
Wulfenite
Namibia
Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Tsumeb, Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine)
The mine at Tsumeb is not particularly known for its Wulfenite specimens, but it has produced some good ones, as you can see from the above images. Perhaps the most striking thing about the Wulfenite specimens from Tsumeb is the large number of different kinds of crystals that it has produced. Usually the pockets with Wulfenite specimens that are found are all different from each other and the pockets were always small and in most cases did not produce more than a few flats of specimens.
Wulfenite
Congo, Republic of (Brazzaville)
Kouilou Region, Mvouti Prefecture, Mvouti (M'Fouati)
Wulfenite
Slovenia
Mežica (Miess)
The Wulfenite specimens from Miess have been known for perhaps 100 years and at times have been abundant. We need someone more familiar than I with these specimens to tell us about them.
Wulfenite
Sloveina
Mežica (Miess), Črna (Schwarzenbach), Helena Mine
Wulfenite
Slovenia
Mežica (Miess), Mežica Mine
Wulfenite
Slovenia
Mežica (Miess), Mežica Mine
Wulfenite
Slovenia
Mežica (Miess), Staro Igrčevo Mine
Wulfenite
Slovenia
Mežica (Miess), Union Mine
Wulfenite
Spain
Andalusia, Granada, Albuñuelas, Barranco del Humo mines (Cortijo del Humo mines)
Wulfenite
Spain
Andalusia, Granada, Albuñuelas, Los Lastonares mines
Several mines near the town of Albuñuelas, about one hour south of Granada, were mined for Galena from the 19th century up to their closure in the 1920s. During the war interest in the mines revived because the Molybdenum that was thrown on the dumps during the active mining period was in demand for the industry. Therefore hardly any dumps are visible and collecting is best done inside the mine. [personal info Paco Lopez]
Very nice specimens have come out of the mines, Wulfenite in a variety of colours (brown, red, orange, yellow, green, gray, colourless) and a wide range of different forms.
Individual crystals can get up to about 1 cm and large cabinet specimens have been found.
The names of the individual mines in the area are: Barranco del Humo mines (Cortijo del Humo mines), Cerro de la Cruz mine, Cerro de la Jara mine, Cerro del Capón mines, Cortijo del Cura mine, El Centenillo mine, La Cunilla mine (El Cuco mine), Laura mine, Los Lastonares mine and San Antonio de Padua mine.
Wulfenite (Var: Chillagite)
Spain
Catalonia, Barcelona, Vallès Oriental, Sant Fost de Campsentelles, Teresita mine
Classic Spanish locality for the Tungstenian variety of Wulfenite, Chillagite.
Wulfenite
USA
Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mts, California District, Rustler Park, Hilltop Mine (Hand Mine; Kasper tunnel; Gray Mine; Dunn shaft; Blacksmith shaft; Rhem adit)
Wulfenite
USA
Arizona, Cochise Co., Dragoon Mts, Turquoise District (Courtland-Gleeson District), Gleeson, Costello Mine group (Costello claims), Defiance Mine
The specimens from this mine at one time were abundant, but because of their delicate nature, many of them have been damaged or destroyed. Many of the specimens from this mine are instantly recognizable by their pagoda shaped crystals. Many of the specimens were found with tiny white calcite crystals growing on the tops of the Wulfenite crystals. Many specimens have had the calcite crystals removed to better show the Wulfenite. Some crystals are a rather brown color and others grade almost to a shiny orange color. Of course the brighter colors are worth more to collectors.
Wulfenite
USA
Arizona, Cochise Co., Dragoon Mts, Turquoise District (Courtland-Gleeson District), Gleeson, Costello Mine group (Costello claims), Silver Bill Mine
Wulfenite
USA
Arizona, Cochise Co., Dragoon Mts, Turquoise District (Courtland-Gleeson District), Gleeson, Mystery Mine (Mystery Tunnel Mine; Minerals Exploration Co. property)
Wulfenite
USA
Cochise Co., Tombstone Hills, Tombstone District, Tombstone, Toughnut Mine (Tough Nut Mine; Northwest Mine; Hoodoo stopes; Tombstone group)
Wulfenite
USA
Arizona, Gila Co., Dripping Spring Mts, Banner District, Hayden area, Chilito, 79 Mine (79th Mine; Seventy-Nine Mine; Seventy-Nine property; McHur prospect)
This mine produced a lot of Wulfenite specimens, but few of them were good. The most attractive of them were the thin yellow crystals growing on a black matrix. Most of these specimens were small.
[Rock Currier, 2009]
Wulfenite
USA
Arizona, Gila Co., Dripping Spring Mts, Banner District, Hayden area, Chilito, Keystone Gulch, Finch Mine (Barking Spider Mine), Reagan claims (Regan/Reagan Camp prospects; Lee Reagan property; Lee Reagan prospects; Kullman-McCool group)
Wulfenite
USA
La Paz Co., Trigo Mts, Silver District, Pure Potential Mine (North Geronimo Mine)
Wulfenite
USA
Arizona, La Paz Co., Trigo Mts, Silver District, Red Cloud Mine
The Red Cloud mine is famous among collectors for the beauty and quality of the red Wulfenite crystals that it produced. The specimens ere never abundant and you were lucky if you could come away after two or three days collecting in the mine with two or three flats of specimens, and these were with very rare exceptions never of the best quality. For years access to the mine was more or less unrestricted and the biggest worry was if your car could make it up the sandy road to the mine. Many collectors, myself included made many trips to the mine and never came away with a really fine specimen. The Red Cloud was a very small old silver mine and almost all the specimens produced from this mine were collected by collectors after the mine has ceased operation. It consisted of a steep incline and a vertical shaft. You could get down and up it without a rope, but almost all of us who collected in the mine used a rope to help navigate the incline. It went down perhaps 150 feet to a haulage level that intersected with the bottom of the shaft. The incline continued even more steeply below the haulage level, but after a fire burnt out the wooden ladder that led to the lower level, few collectors bothered to access this part of the mine. There was little incentive to go there because almost all of the good Wulfenite specimens were to be found in the stopped areas of the vein above the haulage level. The mine was also known for how dirty it was. After collecting there for a day, you always came out impregnated with the fine red limonite dust that was everywhere in the mine. You would take off your shirt, and if you were wearing a white undershirt, the undershirt was pink. If you took off the undershirt as well, you skin was a light pink color. Sometimes it took several baths to remove this dust completely from your body and often for a day or two after, if you blew your nose, you could still see evidence of this fine red dust still in your system.
In the early part of the 20th century crystals were supplied to Wards Natural History establishment, but the first find of really good specimen, and some collectors still say the best were collected by the legendary field collector Ed Over in 1938. They were sold mostly back east by his partner Arthur Montgomery. The letters that Ed Over wrote to Arthur Montgomery about the find have been published in the Mineralogical record and they are the stuff of collecting legends. Some of the crystals he found were about two inches across, and some of the best ones, which Arthur kept in his collection will be shown above as soon as I can get my slide scanner up and running again. Other fine specimens were recovered when the main vein at the deposit was open pitted by a group of collectors and a number of fine specimens were produced from several small narrow pockets of less than 2 meters in length. "On the 9th (of February) I tried another brecciated seam that has pocketed three times... each pocket has been bigger and better. I can't compare this stuff with anything I've seen before...But I will say that these single crystals , clusters and groups are the finest wulfenite I've ever seen...the Pocket bottoms are covered with loose crystals...I think this seam is one in a million. I am shipping 8 boxes, 6 1/2 are from this place. P.S. Note large rose shaped cluster of crystals especially."
1 Today any of the better specimens would bring thousands of dollars each and some specimens would probably sell for more than $100,000. From the second find of good specimens that was mined by Wayne Thompson's group in 1973 when they open pitted the vein, I even broke down and paid several thousand dollars for a decent, specimen from this find. It was not one of the best ones, but I knew that this would be probably my last change to get a good Wulfenite from this mine and after spending more than 100 hours collecting in the dirty old hole, I wanted a good one.
1, Mineralogical Record, Vol. 11, #3, May-June 1980: The Red Cloud Mine, Gary M. Edison, p141 to 152.
[Rock Currier, 2009]
Wulfenite
USA
Arizona, Maricopa Co., Painted Rock Mts, Painted Rock District, Theba, Rowley Mine (Rawley Mine; Reliance Mine; Reliance Copper Mine; Rainbow Mine; Theba Mine; San Carlos patented claim #4524)
The Rawley mine was accessible to collectors for years by collectors and at one time it was difficult to find a field collector who had not visited the mine at least once. Wulfenite was an abundant mineral in the mine, but you rarely good a good specimens from there. They were characterized by being small crystals, usually growing on Baryte, but very clear and delicate. You usually came away with several flats of specimens but rarely anything very good. It was a small mine and accessed by a fairly large incline shaft. I nearly got squashed by a big boulder that fell from the ceiling less than six inches from where I was standing. I don't go back to collect there after that.
[Rock Currier 2009]
Wulfenite
USA
Arizona, Pima Co., Tucson Mts, Amole District, Saguaro National Monument, Old Yuma Mine (Yuma Mine)
The Old Yuma Mine is located right on in the outskirts of Tucson and many years after it stopped production, the property was purchased by Dick Bideaux who could never get permission to open it up and collect in a part of the mine what was productive of specimens. He did so in his youth, and wanted to do so again, but was never able to. He fought with the government for years to patent the claim and in the end sold it to the government for a good price. We need someone like Gene Schlep who is still with us to tell us about the mine and the specimens it produced.
Wulfenite
USA
Arizona, Pinal Co., Mammoth District, Tiger, St. Anthony deposit, Mammoth-Saint Anthony Mine (Mammoth-St Anthony Mine; Mammoth Mine; St. Anthony Mine)
Tiger produced some good Wulfenite specimens, but they are quite delicate and you rarely see one today. In the early days, before it was called Tiger, the locality was generally know as Schulz, Arizona. The mine at that time produced some nice specimens of bladed orange Wulfenite that has a sort of smoky orange color. A fine example of this king is in the collection of Harvard University.
[Rock Currier]
Wulfenite
USA
Arizona, Santa Cruz Co., Santa Rita Mts, Tyndall District, Cottonwood Canyon, Amado, Devil's Cash Box ridge, Glove Mine (Sunrise Mine), Glove Mine group (Zombie & Zeco claims; Festiago-Franklin; Blacksmith adit)
This mine produced a large variety of Wulfenite specimens, but the specimens from this mine are dominated by specimens from a huge pocket of bladed curved brown/orange crystals that were dug by Al Haag and Dick Bideaux in the late 50s. When a "cave" full of Wulfenite was encountered at the mine, a deal was struck with the mining company to collect the specimens. Dick said they could collect the specimens as long as they did not disrupt the mining process. He told of walking on a mine tunnel that was covered with Wulfenite crystals that would crunch beneath his boots and laying in part of the pocket, collecting and handing out specimens as the miners were drilling holes near his feet to prepare for a blast that would destroy the specimens in that huge pocket of Wulfenite. He had to place some canvas in the bottom of the pocket to keep the sharp thin Wulfenite crystals from cutting his back. Several hundred good specimens were collected, but you rarely see them offered for sale today.
[Rock Currier, 2009]
Wulfenite
United States
California, Inyo County, Darwin, 1208 oxide stope
The best wulfenite from Darwin was found in the roof at the far end of the 1208 stope in 1973. Most of the little orange crystals found here were less than 5 mm but some were as large as 12 mm and most of these larger crystals were not particularly attractive. Most of the specimens were clusters of wall to wall small bright orange crystals. Most of the specimens were collected by Wolfgang Mueller during one evenings collecting. He collected about 15 flats of specimens of various qualities. The best specimen is a matrix specimen 10 x 15 cm tapering to a point on one in with excellent coverage of the small crystals which are associated with micro prismatic orange, mimetite crystals which are not evident until you look closely for them. Some of the better specimens sold for as much as $400. The best specimen was available for the price of a new Chevrolet Blazer and still is.
1
1. Personal communication, Wolfgang Mueller 2000 aprox.
[Rock Currier 6 November 08]
Wulfenite
USA
Montana, Broadwater Co., Radersburg District (Cedar Plains District; Lone Mountain District), James R. Lee Mine
Wulfenite
USA
Montana, Madison Co., Silver Star District, Silver Star, Broadway Mine (Victoria Mine; Bowery; Delaware)
Wulfenite
USA
New Mexico, Doña Ana Co., Organ District, Stevenson-Bennett Mine (Stephenson-Bennett Mine)
Wulfenite
USA
New Mexico, Grant Co., Burro Mountains District, Tyrone Area, Tyrone Mine
Wulfenite
USA
New Mexico, Grant Co., Central District, Vanadium, Groundhog Mine, Lucky Bill Mine (Lucky Bill shaft)
Wulfenite
USA
Pennsylvania, Chester Co.Schuylkill Township, Phoenixville Mining District, Wheatley Mines
The mine is much better know for its Pyromorphite crystals but I thought I would throw in a couple of pictures of the Wulfenite crystals from this famous old mine just to put thing in perspective. They rarely got to be larger than a mm or two.
Wulfenite
USA
Utah, Beaver Co., Star Range, Star and North Star Districts, Milford, Harrington-Hickory Mine (Rocky; The Gomer Shaft)
Wulfenite
USA
Utah, Box Elder Co., Pilot Range, Lucin District, Tecoma Hill Mines
Edited 96 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2009 12:30PM by Rock Currier.
I noticed in the main paragraph a couple of spelling & grammar mistakes, I've copied the paragraph below, highlighted & underlined these with my changes so that you can compare easily & edit, should you want to ... Also at the same time you might want to edit "Mvouti (M'Fouati), Mvouti Prefecture, Kouilou Region, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville)" as it is currently situated under Tsumeb, Namibia. One final point, at this stage are we supposed to be reading/seeing all the html codes for the links to display the selected photos ?
