RocksdayMimetite vs Vanadinite
How to tell them apart
A lead arsenate forming yellow-orange hexagonal barrels or rounded 'campylite' crystals.
Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0
A lead vanadate forming bright red-orange hexagonal crystals, often on dark matrix.
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick tests
- Streak (rub on unglazed porcelain): Mimetite leaves a white streak; Vanadinite leaves pale yellow.
Key differences
- Vanadinite is red-orange with sharp hexagonal prisms.
- Mimetite is yellower and barrel-shaped.
Side by side
| Property | Mimetite | Vanadinite |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 3.5–4 | 3–4 |
| Luster | Resinous to adamantine | Resinous to adamantine |
| Streak | White | Pale yellow |
| Colors | Yellow, Orange, Brown | Red, Orange, Brown |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal | Hexagonal |
| Specific gravity | 7.1–7.2 | 6.8–7.1 |
| Formula | Pb₅(AsO₄)₃Cl | Pb₅(VO₄)₃Cl |
| Found in | Tsumeb, Namibia; Guangxi, China | Mibladen, Morocco; Apache mine, Arizona |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify mimetite
- Yellow-orange six-sided barrels.
- Very heavy.
- Resinous luster.
Crystal system: Hexagonal
Full Mimetite guide →How to identify vanadinite
- Bright red to orange six-sided prisms.
- Very heavy.
- Pale yellow streak.
Crystal system: Hexagonal
Full Vanadinite guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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