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Download hereGENERAL DESCRIPTION
Stolzite is a rare lead tungstate, being formed by oxidation of hydrothermal deposits containing tungsten and lead. Possible association with cerusite, pyromorphite, mimetite, scheelite and anglesite.
It is frequently found as octahedras and more rarely as tabular crystals. It can be visually confused with wulfenite (PbMoO4, lead molybdate) but its higher density, makes it possible to distinguish from wulfenite. It can react to UV light and gives a white- to yellow fluorescence (short waves) or red (long waves).
Very beautiful crystals, measuring up to 7 cm, were discovered with the mine Sainte Lucie de Saint-Léger de Peyre in Lozère. Well formed microcrystals presenting a variety of forms and colour (pink to yellow-green) were discovered in the mine of Montmins in Allier. For the other deposits : the Clara mine in Germany; the Zinnwald area in Czech Republic or Tsumeb in Namibia.
In France, outside Sainte Lucie and Les Montmins, stolzite is present in the Limousin at the Moulin Rousset and in the Vosges within the Framont, Ste Marie aux Mines, Urbeis and Giromagny mines.
The type of this species (described in 1845 on a sample of Zinnwald (or Cinovec) in the metal Mounts) is kept at Bergwerk Akademie (“School of Mines”) of Freiberg in Germany.
HISTORY : Species dedicated to Docteur Joseph Alexis Stolz (1803-1896), who provided the first sample
Species first described in 1845 by Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger (1795-1871), Austrain geologist and mineralogist
Type-locality: Zinnwald, Bohemia, Czech Republic
CHEMICAL FORMULA : Pb WO4
CRYSTAL SYSTEM : Tetragonal
COLOR : Reddish brown, yellowish, gray
DIAPHANIETY : Translucent
LUSTER : Resineous
STREAK : White
MORPHOLOGIE : Crystals often bipyramidal, seldomly tabular
HARDNESS : 2,5-3,0
CHEMICAL CLASS: 8,408
DENSITY : VI - Sulfates, chromates, tungstates and molybdates
GROUP : Scheelite
STRUNZ CLASS BEFORE 2001 : 5/G.01-40
STRUNZ CLASS AFTER 2001 : 7.GA.05
