Database of luminescent minerals 

WULFENITE

Chemical formula: PbMoO₄

Family: Tungstates, Molybdates

Status: IMA-GP

Display mineral: NON

Associated names (luminescent varieties, discredited names, synonyms, etc.): chillagite, 

Luminescence:

Daylight picture

WULFENITE;
Photo and Copyright: James Hamblen
Site of the author
Used with permission of the author

Shortwave (254nm) picture

WULFENITE;
UVSW
Photo and Copyright: James Hamblen
Site of the author
Used with permission of the author

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Phosphorescence (in the common sense of the term) observable with the naked eye:

No data

Comments:

Wulfenite from the Finch Mine (Gila County, Arizona, USA) is reported to fluoresce green due to a thin coating of hyalite activated by uranium impurities.

Chillagite: wulfenite containing tungsten.

Activator(s) and spectrum:

Activator(s): MoO₄^2-, (UO₂)²⁺ (ion Uranyle) en impureté,  

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

UO₂²⁺ : Broad band peaking at 550 - 660 nm (Gorobets)

(?) : broad band at 669nm (sample from Chile, exc 532nm)

(?) : broad band at 718nm (sample from Mexico, exc 532nm)

Nd³⁺ : peaks at 804, 873, 890nm (exc. 780nm)

No spectrum yet

Comments on spectrum and activators:

Wulfenite was studied by steady-state luminescence spectroscopy and luminescence of (MoO₄)^3- metal-oxygen complexes was found (Gorobets and Rogojine 2001).

Excitation by CW laser with 532 and 780 nm revealed narrow luminescence lines possibly belonging to Nd³⁺ and several broad luminescence bands of unknown origin. (Gaft)

Best localities for fluorescence (*):

• Red Cloud Mine, Yuma County, Arizona, USA; 
• Mammoth, Arizona, USA;
• Teresita Mine, Can Donadeu, Sant Fost de Campsentelles, Comarca Vallès Oriental, Barcelona, Catalonia  Spain (±1950, var. chillagite, weak LW+SW);
• Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA;
• Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia (Dolomite fluo orange SW + wulfenite deep red SW);
• Touissit, Touissit-Bou Beker mining district, Jerada Province, Oriental Region, Morocco (SW);
• Sidi Amer, Touissit-Bou Beker mining district, Jerada Province, Oriental Region, Morocco (Minor fluorescence long & short UV)

(*)The data are not exhaustive and are limited to a few remarkable localities for fluorescence

Bibliographic reference for luminescence:

• The Henkel Glossary of Fluorescent Minerals, Dr. Gerhard Henkel, Published by the FMS, 1989 ,
• Fluorescence: Gems and Minerals Under Ultraviolet Light, Manuel Robbins, 1994, Geoscience Press, ISBN 0-945005-13-X ,
• Luminescence Spectroscopy of Minerals and Materials, M. Gaft, R. Reisfeld, G. Panczer, Springer Editor, ISBN: 10 3-540-21918-8 ,
• Luminescent Spectra of Minerals, Boris S. Gorobets and Alexandre A. Rogojine, Moscow, 2002 ,

Reference for luminescence on the Internet:

Mineralogical reference on the Internet:

  http://www.mindat.org/show.php?name=Wulfenite

  http://webmineral.com/data/Wulfenite.shtml

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