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Scheelite
Current inventory:  3 gems
 

Scheelite

  
Scheelite is named after the Swedish chemist, Karl Wilhelm Scheele (1742-1786) who discovered the existence of tungsten in Scheelite in 1781.

Discovered in 1821; IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

 

Chemistry

 

 

Chemical Formula:

CaWO4

 

Calcium Tungstate

Molecular Weight:

287.93 gm

Composition:

Calcium

13.92 %

Ca

19.48 %

CaO

 

Tungsten

63.85 %

W

80.52 %

WO3

 

Oxygen

22.23 %

O

 

 

 

 

100.00 %

 

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

 

 

Classification

   

   

Mineral Classification:

Sulfates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

6/G.01-20

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

7.GA.05

 

7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
G : Molybdates, Wolframates and Niobates
A : Without additional anions or H
2O

Related to:

Scheelite Group. Powellite-Scheelite Series. Isostructural with Powellite.

Members of Group:

Scheelite Group: Powellite, Raspite, Scheelite, Stolzite, Wulfenite

Varieties:

Cuprian Scheelite, Molybdoscheelite

Synonyms:

Calcioscheelite, Calcium tungstate, Calciumwolframite, Trimonite, Trimontite, Tungstate of Lime, Tungstite (of Delamëtherie), Tunstitite

 

 

Crystal Data

   

   

Crystallography:

Tetragonal - Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

Crystals are typically pseudo-octahedral {011} or {112}, with modifying forms {001}, {013}, {121}, several others, to 32 cm; commonly granular, massive.

Twinning:

{110}, common, penetration and contact twins, composition plane {110} or {001}.

 

 

Physical Properties

   

 

Cleavage:

Distinct on {101}; interrupted on {112}; indistinct on {001} 

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven, Sub-Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

4.5 - 5.0

Density:

6.10 (g/cm3)

Luminescence:

Bright bluish white cathodoluminescence and fluorescence under SW UV and X-rays. Thermoluminescent.

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Other:

Decomposed by HCl or HNO3, leaving a yellow powder of hydrous tungstic oxide, which is soluble in ammonia. Alters to Tungstite, Hydrotungstite, or Cuprotungstite. Replaced by Wolframite as perfect pseudomorphs. Often replaces Wolframite.

 

 

Optical Properties

   

   

Color:

Colorless, white, gray, brown, pale yellow, yellow-orange, pale shades of orange, red, green; may be compositionally color zoned.

Transparency:

Transparent to Opaque; transparent in transmitted light

Luster:

Vitreous to Adamantine

Refractive Index:

1.918 - 1.937  Uniaxial ( + ) 

Birefringence:

0.0160 - 0.0170

Dispersion:

Weak to Strong; r > v

Pleochroism:

None

 

 

Occurances

   

   

Geological Setting:

Typically a component of contact-metamorphic tactite; in high-temperature hydrothermal veins and greisen; less common in granite pegmatites and medium-temperature hydrothermal veins; alluvial.

Common Associations:

Cassiterite, Wolframite, Topaz, Fluorite, Apatite, Tourmaline, Quartz (greisen); Grossular–Andradite, Diopside, Vesuvianite, Tremolite (tactite).

Common Impurities:

Mo, Nb, Ta

Type Locality:

Bispbergs Klack, Säter, Dalarna, Sweden

Year Discovered:

1821

View mineral photos:

Scheelite Mineral Photos and Locations

 

 

More Information

   

   

 

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

 

 


Scheelite is a member of the Scheelite Group of minerals that includes
Powellite, Scheelite, Stolzite and Wulfenite. Scheelite is an important ore of tungsten which is a strategically important metal. Scheelite crystals are found at many locations around the world including several in the US. Gem quality, facetable material is somewhat rare however. Ultraviolet lamps can be used to search for Scheelite at night because of its typically bright blue fluorescence. Scheelite has a fairly high refractive index (RI) value of about 1.93 which is similar to the RI value of Sphene and slighlty higher than that of Demantoid Garnet. Scheelite is found in colors of pale yellow, orange-yellow, brownish, greenish, violet, reddish and colorless.

Distribution: An important ore of tungsten, with many localities. Some for fine and large crystals include: from Sweden, at the Bispberg iron mine, near S¨ater, Dalarne. In Germany, from Altenberg and Schwarzenberg, Saxony. At C´inovec (Zinnwald) and Horn´i Slavkov (Schlaggenwald), Czech Republic. From Traversella, Piedmont, Italy. At Tenkergin, Chukotka, Siberia, Russia. In the Natas mine, about 80 km south of Windhoek, Namibia. Large crystals from the Tae wha mine, Chungju, North Chungchong Province, South Korea. At Pia Oac, Tonkin, North Vietnam. In China, from near Pingwu, Xuebao Ding Mountains, Sichuan Province, China. A large deposit in the Flat River Valley, Northwest Territories, Canada. In the USA, in Arizona, large crystals from the Cohen mine, Dragoon Mountains, Cochise Co.; commercially mined at the Pine Creek mine, near Bishop, Inyo Co., California. At Mitopilas, Sonora, Mexico. In the Morro Velho gold mine, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
 

  
Scheelite gems for sale:

Scheelite-001

Gem:

Scheelite

Stock #:

SCHEE-001

Weight:

6.69 ct

Size:

9.70 x 8.98 x 5.82mm

Shape:

Fancy (Shield)

Color:

Yellow

Clarity:

Eye Clean

Origin:

Mt. Xuebaoding, Sichuan, China

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

$128.00

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Scheelite-001

This rare gem is from Huya Villiage, Mt. Xuebaoding, Pingwu County, Mianyang Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. It is eye clean with a couple inclusions visible under magnification. It is a very bright gem and very well faceted.


Scheelite-002

Gem:

Scheelite

Stock #:

SCHEE-002

Weight:

10.388 ct

Size:

15.92 x 9.08 x 4.95 mm

Shape:

Elongated Cushion

Color:

Golden Yellow

Clarity:

Eye Clean

Origin:

Mt. Xuebaoding, Sichuan, China

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

$620.00    [ Make an offer ]

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Scheelite-002

This rare gem is from Huya Villiage, Mt. Xuebaoding, Pingwu County, Mianyang Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. It is eye clean with a couple inclusions visible under magnification. This is a very bright and very well faceted gem.


Scheelite-003

Gem:

Scheelite

Stock #:

SCHEE-003

Weight:

4.40 ct

Size:

11.97 x 6.57 x 5.15 mm

Shape:

Fancy (Modified Trillion)

Color:

Yellow

Clarity:

Eye Clean

Origin:

Mt. Xuebaoding, Sichuan, China

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

$88.00    [ Make an offer ]

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Scheelite-003

This rare gem is from Huya Villiage, Mt. Xuebaoding, Pingwu County, Mianyang Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. It is eye clean with a couple inclusions visible under magnification. It is a very bright gem and very well faceted.


Scheelite-004

Gem:

Scheelite

Stock #:

SCHEE-004

Weight:

0.4855 ct

Size:

5.17 x 3.73 x 1.86mm

Shape:

Oval

Color:

Yellow

Clarity:

Eye Clean

Origin:

Kern County, California, USA

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

SOLD  (but we have others)

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Scheelite-004

A rare gem from an even rarer location; Kern County, California, USA. Thie gem is from a mine just north of Lake Isabella, near Kernville, California.


 


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