白鎢礦

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.

Xuebaoding and judging quality

The Xuebaoding deposit (Mt Pingwu, Sichuan) is the world’s premier source of collectable scheelite: sharp dipyramidal and octahedral crystals in honey-yellow to saturated orange, perched on silvery muscovite and often accompanied by cassiterite and pink beryl. Value scales steeply with size, colour saturation, transparency, and matrix integrity; damage-free crystals above 3 cm command strong premiums. Under ultraviolet light scheelite fluoresces a vivid blue-white — a quick authenticity check. See the Xuebaoding Scheelite Buying Guide.