Vanadinite
Vanadinite is a vanadate mineral prized by collectors for its exceptional color range, with known Chinese sources.
About Vanadinite
Vanadinite is a vanadate mineral in the apatite supergroup and has the chemical formula Pb₅(VO₄)₃Cl. It crystallizes in the hexagonal system and is one of the most visually varied minerals in the collector market. Its combination of structural character and global distribution make it a recognized species in both systematic and aesthetic collections.
Identification & care
Vanadinite typically forms short prismatic to tabular hexagonal crystals; hollow tubular crystals (distinctive); globular. Its color range is broad, including orange-red, red-brown, bright red, yellow, whitish, and pale straw-yellow to colourless in transmitted light. The luster is sub-adamantine, resinous, the streak is white to yellow, and specimens range from transparent to translucent. The fracture is uneven, which is one of its key identifying features.
Collector context
How it forms
Vanadinite forms in secondary mineral in oxidized zones of lead ore deposits (desert environments favor formation). It is commonly found in association with wulfenite, mimetite, cerussite, pyromorphite, barite.
Classic Chinese localities
Vanadinite is widely represented across Chinese provinces, including Yunnan, Gansu, Guizhou, Guangdong.
Why collectors care
Vanadinite is a frequently-sought species in serious collections because its habit is recognizable, its color often strong, and its best examples unmistakable even at a distance. Chinese material has driven much of the recent visual shift in the species — sharper crystals, deeper colors, cleaner matrix.
What affects value
Value in Vanadinite is assessed, in typical order of weight, against: (1) locality provenance; (2) size relative to the species norm; (3) crystal form and termination sharpness; (4) color saturation and zoning; (5) transparency and internal clarity; (6) matrix quality and aesthetic balance; (7) condition (absence of damage, chips, or repair). Cleaning quality and verified locality documentation act as multipliers across the above.
Naming history
The name Vanadinite has a specific etymological and historical context — see Mindat's reference entry for provenance details. We have retained naming data at the record level; published prose is paraphrased from factual fields rather than copied from source.
Available Vanadinite specimens
Vanadinite on Black Matrix, Morocco
Vanadinite on Barite Matrix, Morocco
Vanadinite Crystal Cluster on Matrix, Morocco
Vanadinite Crystal Cluster on Yellow Matrix, Morocco
Vanadinite Crystal Cluster – Morocco
Vanadinite Crystal Cluster – Vibrant Red – Morocco
Vanadinite Crystal Cluster – Deep Red – Barite Matrix – Morocco
Vanadinite Crystal Cluster – Fiery Red – Mibladen, Morocco
Vanadinite Crystals on Black Matrix – Daye Mine, Hunan
Vanadinite on Barite Matrix – Red Hexagonal – Morocco
Vanadinite Crystal Cluster – Red Hexagonal – Morocco
Red Vanadinite Crystal Cluster – Mibladen, Midelt, Morocco
Red Vanadinite Cluster – Mibladen Mining District, Morocco
