Vanadinite is not a mineral that is talked about very much, but it should be. It is a rare mineral, and, with the chemical formula Pb5(VO4)3Cl, it is one of the largest sources of the metal vanadium as well as being a source of lead. The real appeal of vanadinite, besides its rarity, is its crystal form.

Vanadinite is most often seen with beautiful, (usually) deep red, hexagonal crystals.  These crystals are most often quite small, but they are stunning when viewed under a low-power hand lens.

It was first discovered in Mexico and was named vanadinite for obvious reasons, as its distinctive element is vanadium. It has a hardness of 3-4 and is therefore not used for any type of jewelry. Today, most vanadinite is sourced from Morocco, Namibia, Argentina and the United States.

Vanadinite is a secondary mineral, meaning it forms as a product of the oxidation of primary minerals. Primary minerals are the minerals that are present when the rock body is emplaced.

In this case, the primary minerals come from lead-bearing zones, where the lead in the structure originates, and wall-rock silicates, out of which the vanadium is leached. The Dice museum has very nice samples of vanadinite in the collection.

The crystals are large enough for their form to be seen without a hand lens, so feel free to stop on by and take a look!