RocksdayVanadinite vs Wulfenite
How to tell them apart
A lead vanadate forming bright red-orange hexagonal crystals, often on dark matrix.
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
A lead molybdate forming thin, square, bright orange plates.
Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick tests
- Streak (rub on unglazed porcelain): Vanadinite leaves a pale yellow streak; Wulfenite leaves white.
Key differences
- Vanadinite forms hexagonal prisms.
Side by side
| Property | Vanadinite | Wulfenite |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 3–4 | 3 |
| Luster | Resinous to adamantine | Adamantine to resinous |
| Streak | Pale yellow | White |
| Colors | Red, Orange, Brown | Orange, Yellow, Red, Brown |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal | Tetragonal |
| Specific gravity | 6.8–7.1 | 6.5–7 |
| Formula | Pb₅(VO₄)₃Cl | PbMoO₄ |
| Found in | Mibladen, Morocco; Apache mine, Arizona | Red Cloud mine, Arizona; Los Lamentos, Mexico |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify vanadinite
- Bright red to orange six-sided prisms.
- Very heavy.
- Pale yellow streak.
Crystal system: Hexagonal
Full Vanadinite guide →How to identify wulfenite
- Thin square tablets, often vivid orange.
- Heavy and brittle.
- Brilliant luster.
Crystal system: Tetragonal
Full Wulfenite guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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