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Stolzite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

Chemistry:  Pb(WO₄)  [Lead Tungsten Sulfate]

Discovered in 1845;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
Stolzite is named after Dr. Joseph Alexis Stolz (1803–1896), Teplice, Czech Republic, who provided the first specimen.

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Sulfates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

6/G.01-40

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

7.GA.05

7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
G : Molybdates, Wolframates and Niobates
A : Without additional anions or H₂O

Related to:

Scheelite Group. Scheelite - Wulfenite Series. The tetragonal dimorph of Raspite.

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Tetragonal - Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

Crystals are commonly dipyramidal {111}, {101}, with {011}, {112}, {001}, complex development with over 30 other forms recorded; may be flat tabular {001}, {101}, to 6 cm.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

[001] Indistinct, [011] Imperfect

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Hardness (Mohs):

2.5 - 3.0

Density:

7.90 - 8.34 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

May be bright red to red-orange (LW UV), and lemon-yellow (SW UV).

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Other:

Melting Point 1123° C

Optical Properties

Color:

Reddish brown, Brown, Yellowish Gray, Smoky Gray, Straw-Yellow, Lemon-Yellow; may be Green, Orange, Red

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Sub-Adamantine, Resinous

Refractive Index:

2.19 - 2.27  Uniaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.080 - 0.090

Pleochroism:

None

Occurances

Geological Setting:

An uncommon mineral in the oxidized zone of hydrothermal tungsten-bearing lead deposits.

Common Associations:

Anglesite, Cerussite, Mimetite, Pyromorphite, Raspite,

Common Impurities:

Mo

Type Locality:

Cínovec / Zinnwald (Cinvald), Erzgebirge; Krusné Hory Mts, Saxony & Ústí Region (Bohemia; Böhmen; Boehmen), Germany & Czech Republic

Year Discovered:

1845

View mineral photos:

Stolzite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Stolzite is a very rare sulfate mineral and an extremely rare gem. It is a very heavy mineral with a density of about 8.0 (g/cm³) and has a very high refractive index of 2.19 - 2.27 and an adamantine to resinous luster but is very soft with a Mohs hardness of 2.5 - 3.0.

Stolzite is found at many localities in small amounts but very few localities produce crystals large enough for faceting. The few locations that might produce gem quality crystals are the Sainte-Lucie mine, Saint-Léger de Peyre, Lozére, France; fine examples from Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia; large crystals from Tsumeb, Namibia. In the USA, large crystals at the Fat Jack mine, Bradshaw Mountains, Yavapai County, Arizona.
 

  
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