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Elemental Composition (by mass)
| Element | Mass % | Visual |
|---|---|---|
| W Tungsten | 63.85% | |
| O Oxygen | 22.23% | |
| Ca Calcium | 13.92% |
Computed from simplified end-member formula. Solid-solution series, water content, and trace substitutions cause real-world variation.
IMA Abbreviation (Whitney-Evans 2010)
Sch
→ Scheelite
Ca tungstate
Standard symbol from American Mineralogist (Whitney & Evans, 2010). Used in thin-section labeling, phase diagrams, and IMA-style species records.
Pronunciation
/ˈʃiːlaɪt/
↔ SHEE-lite
for K.W. Scheele
UV Fluorescence
SW (254 nm)
Blue-white
very strong
LW (365 nm)
Blue-white
moderate
Diagnostic blue-white SW fluorescence — among the brightest in mineralogy. Ca-Mo content shifts color toward yellow.
SW = shortwave (germicidal lamp). LW = longwave (blacklight). Response varies with locality, trace impurities, and treatment.
Luster
adamantine→vitreous
High RI 1.92 gives near-adamantine.
Diagnostic Field Tests
UV test→ Bright blue-white fluorescence (SW UV)
Diagnostic — among the most strongly fluorescent minerals.
⚠ Use dilute HCl (~10%) only on inconspicuous spots; rinse promptly. Smell-tests should be brief and ventilated. Taste-test ONLY halite/sylvite — never lead, arsenic, or sulfur minerals.
Specific Gravity
6.10–6.12
g/cm³
very heavy
CaWO₄; lighter than wolframite.
For comparison: water = 1.00, glass ≈ 2.5, quartz = 2.65, corundum ≈ 4.00, galena ≈ 7.50, gold ≈ 19.3.
Streak Test
white
White streak + UV fluorescence (blue-white SW) diagnostic.
Streak = color of the powdered mineral. Drag specimen across unglazed white porcelain plate (Mohs 6.5). For minerals harder than the plate, crush a small flake into powder and observe color.
★★★★★5 / 5 based on 4 customer reviews across 10 specimens
Market availability: Uncommon
Found at major shows and select dealers. Quality varies by locality.
Collector tier: Cabinet Classic
World-class display species — sought after for cabinet collections, well-documented localities, frequent show-piece pieces.
Mohs 4.5
Vickers (~) 200 HV
Knoop (~) 220 HK
Nickel–Strunz
7.GA.05Dana
48.02.02.01Diagnostic properties
Specific gravity > 5 — heavy in the hand">Notably denseDiagnostic UV fluorescence
Element composition by mass
Formula: CaWO4 · molar mass: 287.91 g/mol
| W | 63.85% | |
| O | 22.23% | |
| Ca | 13.92% |
Computed from atomic weights (IUPAC 2021). Site-occupancy groups (Fe,Mn) split equally.
Mohs Hardness
4.5
Scheelite sits at 4.5 on the Mohs scale — can be scratched by a steel knife.
Colors:
Streak
White
White
Crystal system
Tetragonal
Tetragonal
Pronunciation/ˈʃiːlaɪt/
Type localityBispberg, Dalarna, Sweden (1781 discovery)
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Discovery First described 1781 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele (Sweden)
TungstatesTungstates
TL;DR · 1 min read
Scheelite is the second principal tungsten ore (after wolframite) and the source of some of China's most spectacular gem crystals. Pingwu and Xuebaoding in Sichuan have produced gem-orange scheelites that rank among the world's finest.
Text size:AAA
Scheelite is the second principal tungsten ore (after wolframite) and the source of some of China's most spectacular gem crystals. Pingwu and Xuebaoding in Sichuan have produced gem-orange scheelites that rank among the world's finest.
The Chinese Angle #
Pingwu County and the Xuebaoding deposit in Sichuan produce gem-orange scheelite crystals (often 3-10 cm) on muscovite-quartz matrix, frequently associated with cassiterite and pink beryl. These have been the international reference for collector-grade scheelite for two decades.
Test at home — what scratches what
Will scratch your specimen:
🔪 Steel pocket knife (soft steel) (Mohs 5) · 🥃 Glass plate (Mohs 5.5) · 🔧 Steel file / hardened steel (Mohs 6.5) · ⚙ Sharp steel needle / quartz scratch (Mohs 7) · 🪨 Topaz scratch test (Mohs 8) · 💎 Corundum (sapphire/ruby) (Mohs 9)
🔪 Steel pocket knife (soft steel) (Mohs 5) · 🥃 Glass plate (Mohs 5.5) · 🔧 Steel file / hardened steel (Mohs 6.5) · ⚙ Sharp steel needle / quartz scratch (Mohs 7) · 🪨 Topaz scratch test (Mohs 8) · 💎 Corundum (sapphire/ruby) (Mohs 9)
Your specimen will scratch:
👆 Talc dust (Mohs 1) · 💅 Fingernail (Mohs 2.5) · 🪙 Copper coin (US penny) (Mohs 3.5)
👆 Talc dust (Mohs 1) · 💅 Fingernail (Mohs 2.5) · 🪙 Copper coin (US penny) (Mohs 3.5)
Always test on an inconspicuous edge first. Save the test for unimportant specimens — better to use a streak plate or knowledge of locality + paragenesis.
Cite this entry
APA
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. (2026). Scheelite. My Mineral Box. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/scheelite/
MLA
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Scheelite." My Mineral Box, 2026, https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/scheelite/. Accessed May 23, 2026.
Chicago
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Scheelite." My Mineral Box. Last modified May 4, 2026. https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/scheelite/.
BibTeX
@misc{mmb_scheelite,
author = {{MyMineralBox Editorial Team}},
title = {{Scheelite}},
year = {2026},
publisher = {My Mineral Box},
url = {https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/scheelite/},
urldate = {2026-05-23}
}
