|
Click on a
letter above to view the list of gems. |
|
|
|
| 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) |
|
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 H2O
|
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:
|
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. |
|
|
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.
|
|
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. |
|
|
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.
|
|
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. |
|
|
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.
|
|
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. |
|
|
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.
|
|
|