Wulfenite
“Paper-thin orange crystal plates”
Wulfenite is a lead molybdate mineral prized for its stunning thin, tabular crystals that range from bright orange and yellow to deep red. These delicate crystal plates form in the oxidation zones of lead ore deposits and are among the most visually spectacular minerals collected.
lead molybdate (PbMoO₄)
Red Cloud Mine (Arizona, USA), Los Lamentos (Mexico), Bleiberg (Austria — type locality), Tsumeb (Namibia), Mezica (Slovenia)
2.5-3
Arizona designated wulfenite as its official state mineral in 2024, honoring the spectacular orange specimens from the Red Cloud Mine that have been collected since the 1880s.
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