Monoclinic
Crocoite is a lead chromate mineral whose vivid orange-to-red prismatic crystals from Tasmania rank among the most spectacular collector minerals on Earth. Crocoite from the Adelaide and Red Lead mines (Dundas, Tasmania) is the official mineral emblem of Tasmania.
Occurrence
Type locality: Berezovsk (Ural Mountains, Russia) — historic but small crystals. The unrivaled collector locality is Dundas, Tasmania (Adelaide, Red Lead, West Comet mines), where bright orange prisms up to 20 cm long form spectacular cavity-lining clusters.
Identification
Vivid orange-red elongated prismatic crystals + association with Pb oxidation zones + bright orange streak. Color is essentially diagnostic. Distinguish from realgar (also orange-red but sulfide, softer, sectile). Care: brittle and cleaves easily.
Collector Notes
Dundas crocoite clusters are signature Australian collector pieces and command premium prices. Often paired with cerussite, pyromorphite and dundasite. Closes the orange-red secondary-Pb mineral suite.
