Elemental Composition (by mass)
| Element | Mass % | Visual |
|---|
| Pb Lead | 73.15% | |
| O Oxygen | 13.56% | |
| V Vanadium | 10.79% | |
| Cl Chlorine | 2.50% | |
Computed from simplified end-member formula. Solid-solution series, water content, and trace substitutions cause real-world variation.
IMA Abbreviation (Whitney-Evans 2010)
Pb chlorovanadate
Standard symbol from American Mineralogist (Whitney & Evans, 2010). Used in thin-section labeling, phase diagrams, and IMA-style species records.
Pronunciation
/vəˈneɪdənaɪt/
↔ vuh-NAY-duh-nite
from vanadium
⚠ Safety & Handling
☠toxicmoderate
Lead chlorovanadate — Pb + V toxicity.
Handling: Wash hands. No oral contact.
Information provided in good faith. Consult local hazmat regulations for transport and disposal. Severely hazardous specimens may require special storage cabinets.
Tenacity
Behavior:
brittle
Under stress:
Snaps
Hexagonal prisms break cleanly.
Luster
adamantine→resinous
Hexagonal crystals with deep red surface luster.
Specific Gravity
Pb chlorovanadate.
For comparison: water = 1.00, glass ≈ 2.5, quartz = 2.65, corundum ≈ 4.00, galena ≈ 7.50, gold ≈ 19.3.
Streak Test
pale yellow
Soft hexagonal prisms; lemon streak.
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.
Mohs 3-4
Vickers (~) 170 HV
Knoop (~) 185 HK
Element composition by mass
Formula: Pb5(VO4)3Cl · molar mass: 1416.26 g/mol
| Pb |
73.15% |
|
| O |
13.56% |
|
| V |
10.79% |
|
| Cl |
2.5% |
|
Computed from atomic weights (IUPAC 2021). Site-occupancy groups (Fe,Mn) split equally.
Vanadinite sits at 3-4 on the Mohs scale —
can be scratched by a steel knife.
🔊 Read aloud
Colors:
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PhosphatesPhosphates (Vanadates)
TL;DR · 1 min read
Vanadinite is a lead vanadate of the apatite supergroup and the principal ore of vanadium. Bright orange-red hexagonal prisms perched on
barite or quartz
matrix – usually small but extraordinarily saturated in color – have made it one of the iconic photogenic specimens in collecting.
Text size:AAA
Vanadinite is a lead vanadate of the apatite supergroup and the principal ore of vanadium. Bright orange-red hexagonal prisms perched on barite or quartz matrix – usually small but extraordinarily saturated in color – have made it one of the iconic photogenic specimens in collecting. Mibladen and Touissit in Morocco are the world references; Chinese occurrences are minor and sporadic.
Notable Varieties #
- Endlichite (As-rich variety; gradational toward Mimetite)
- Cavernous skeletal crystals (Apache Mine, Arizona)
The Chinese Angle #
Chinese vanadinite occurrences are minor and not internationally significant. Reports from Qinglong (Guizhou) and small Hunan localities exist but yield is sporadic and generally non-collector grade. Most vanadinite in the international collector market traces to Mibladen, Touissit, or Apache Mine. This species is included in the encyclopedia for completeness rather than for Chinese specimen significance.
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)
Your specimen will scratch:
👆 Talc dust (Mohs 1) · 💅 Fingernail (Mohs 2.5)
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). Vanadinite. My Mineral Box. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/vanadinite/
MLA
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Vanadinite." My Mineral Box, 2026, https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/vanadinite/. Accessed May 23, 2026.
Chicago
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Vanadinite." My Mineral Box. Last modified May 4, 2026. https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/vanadinite/.
BibTeX
@misc{mmb_vanadinite,
author = {{MyMineralBox Editorial Team}},
title = {{Vanadinite}},
year = {2026},
publisher = {My Mineral Box},
url = {https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/vanadinite/},
urldate = {2026-05-23}
}
