Stolzite
| Stolzite | |
|---|---|
 Stolzite, Broken Hill, Australia (size: 3.6 x 3.0 x 2.6 cm) | |
| General | |
| Category | Tungstate minerals |
| Formula (repeating unit) | PbWO4 |
| Strunz classification | 07.GA.05 |
| Crystal symmetry | Tetragonal 4/m - dipyramidal |
| Unit cell | a = 5.461 Å, c = 12.049 Å; Z = 4 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Reddish brown, brown, yellowish gray, smoky gray, straw-yellow, lemon-yellow; may be green, orange, red |
| Crystal habit | Crystals dipyramidal to tabular |
| Crystal system | Tetragonal |
| Cleavage | Imperfect on {001}, indistinct on {011} |
| Fracture | Conchoidal to uneven |
| Tenacity | Brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 2.5 - 3 |
| Luster | Resinous, subadamantine |
| Streak | White |
| Diaphaneity | Translucent to transparent |
| Specific gravity | 8.34 |
| Optical properties | Uniaxial (-) |
| Refractive index | nω = 2.270 nε = 2.180 - 2.190 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.090 |
| References | [1][2][3] |
Stolzite is a mineral, a lead tungstate; with the formula PbWO4. It is similar to, and often associated with, wulfenite which is the same chemical formula except that the tungsten is replaced by molybdenum. Stolzite crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system and is dimorphous with the monoclinic form raspite.[2]
Lead tungstate crystals have the optical transparency of glass combined with much higher density (8.28 g/cm3 vs ~2.2 g/cm3 for fused silica). They are used as scintillators.
It was first described in 1845 for an occurrence in Krusne Hory (Erzgebirge), Czech Republic and named after Joseph Alexi Stolz of Teplice in Bohemia.[2][3] It occurs in oxidized hydrothermal tungsten-lead ore deposits typically in association with raspite, cerussite, anglesite, pyromorphite and mimetite.[1]
See also
References
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