Collection: Vanadinite

Vanadinite is a striking mineral with the chemical formula Pb₅(VO₄)₃Cl, renowned for its brilliant red to orange-red hexagonal crystals. This secondary mineral forms in the oxidized zones of lead deposits through the weathering and alteration of primary lead-bearing sulfide minerals such as galena. The formation process occurs when vanadium-rich groundwater interacts with lead minerals in arid to semi-arid environments, typically at relatively low temperatures near the Earth's surface. Vanadinite crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system, often developing as short prismatic crystals with well-formed faces. Notable localities for high-quality vanadinite specimens include Morocco (particularly the Mibladen and Taouz regions), Arizona (Tucson Mountains), and Mexico (Sierra de Los Lamentos), where it forms in association with other secondary minerals such as wulfenite, cerussite, and pyromorphite in oxidized lead-zinc deposits.