Xuebaoding, Pingwu

Xuebaoding — China's premier source of museum-grade scheelite

Xuebaoding ("Snow Treasure Peak"), in the Pingwu County of northern Sichuan Province, is the world's most important locality for transparent, gemmy yellow-orange scheelite (CaWO₄) crystals. Specimens from this Sn-W skarn deposit have set the global standard for collectable scheelite since the mid-1980s, when the now-classic octahedral crystals on muscovite matrix began reaching international collectors.

Geological setting

Xuebaoding is a Sn-W skarn deposit at roughly 5,400 m elevation in the Min Shan range. The ore zone is hosted by Triassic carbonates intruded by granitic bodies of Late Yanshanian age, producing a classic skarn assemblage of scheelite + cassiterite + beryl + muscovite + quartz + fluorite. The high-altitude, low-temperature retrograde history is one reason the scheelite crystals here are unusually well-formed and transparent.

What Xuebaoding is known for

For collectors, Xuebaoding scheelite is a benchmark species — sharp dipyramidal and octahedral habits, intense honey-yellow to orange color from W-Mo coupling, often perched on silvery muscovite books. The same workings also produce world-class aquamarine and beryl, exceptional cassiterite, and pink-to-rose tabular fluorite (the famous "pink fluorite" of Mt Xuebaoding).

Typical specimen style

Look for sharp dipyramidal crystals 1–4 cm on muscovite matrix; isolated floater octahedra when matrix is removed; aquamarine + cassiterite + scheelite combos on a single piece are particularly prized. Color ranges from pale lemon through full saturated orange-yellow.

Collector value

Output peaked between approximately 1985 and 2015; large saturated specimens are now significantly harder to source at the original size range. Value scales steeply with size, saturation, and matrix integrity. Damage-free single octahedra above 3 cm command strong premiums.

How to spot Xuebaoding-genuine material

Crystals are habit-distinctive (sharp dipyramid + octahedron); the muscovite is silvery and booklet-form rather than micaceous flakes. Beware repaired matrix and re-cemented crystals on substitute matrices — under ultraviolet light Xuebaoding scheelite fluoresces a strong blue-white, a quick reality check at shows.

From our inventory

We hand-select Xuebaoding specimens at the size and saturation range serious collectors look for — from museum-grade through field-show grades. Browse all Xuebaoding pieces or jump to scheelite buying guide.