Vanadinite and Barite

VANADINITE AND BARITE  

Midelt Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco

specimen: 7 x 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches (17.8 x 11.4 x 21.6 cm)  

height with stand: 11 inches (27.9 cm)

Vanadinite is a lead chlorovanadate and secondary oxidation product of lead ore deposits, noted for a characteristic colour range — from deep red through orange to yellow, depending on vanadium content and crystal habit — that places it among the most vivid minerals in any collection. Morocco's Drâa-Tafilalet region has produced some of the finest vanadinite in the world; the combination of large hexagonal crystal development with barite matrix is a feature associated with the most valued examples from Midelt.

A substantial cabinet specimen presenting two distinct vanadinite crystal habits: large, well-formed hexagonal prisms of deep red to crimson dominating the upper portion, and finer acicular formations of a darker orange below, both set on a cream barite matrix. The contrast between the two habits is pronounced and characteristic of the finest material from this locality.