Mineral · Apatite group
Vanadinite
Pb5(VO4)3Cl
Vanadinite is lead chlorovanadate, the bright red-orange hexagonal prisms and barrels from Mibladen (Morocco) and the Apache Mine (Arizona), and the brown 'endlichite' variety. Moroccan vanadinite is abundant and cheap, and the red crystals on white barite are a show staple. It is a lead mineral and the crystals darken in strong light.
| Formula | Pb5(VO4)3Cl |
|---|---|
| IMA status | grandfathered |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal |
| Mohs hardness | 2.5–3 |
| Group | Apatite group |
| Type locality | Zimapán, Hidalgo, Mexico |
| Streak | White to pale yellow |
| Specific gravity | 6.9 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Handling and safety
Contains lead; keep out of children's reach and wash hands.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Vanadinite" (Mineral). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/vanadinite. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-vanadinite,
title = {Vanadinite},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/vanadinite}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.