Red vanadinite with large crystals – Mibladen, Morocco | Ref. 69

Specimen overview

This vanadinite displays a dense crystallisation composed of numerous well-defined, thick-set crystals of varying sizes. Several crystals are particularly well developed, with clearly visible hexagonal outlines, flat terminations and lustrous faces.

Their colour ranges from reddish brown to deep red, with lighter, orange or slightly translucent tones along some of the edges. The crystals are oriented in different directions, giving the specimen depth and revealing several layers of crystallisation.

The main face is almost entirely covered with crystals, particularly across the central and upper sections. The side views also reveal numerous crystals growing on the matrix. The reverse displays a larger proportion of beige to light brown matrix, with more widely spaced crystals.

The different sides of this vanadinite are shown in the photos and video.

Provenance

This vanadinite comes from Mibladen, Morocco. The specimen was collected in 2019.

Dimensions and presentation

The mineral measures 60 mm in length, 40 mm in width and 50 mm in height, excluding the stand.

Weight: 255 g including the stand.

The specimen is mounted on a clear acrylic stand, presenting its most richly crystallised face.

Origin of the name vanadinite.

Vanadinite was first discovered in 1801 by the Spanish mineralogist Andrés Manuel del Río in Mexico.

It was initially confused with red lead (crocodite). It was not until 1830 that Nils Gabriel Sefström, a Swedish chemist, correctly identified the element vanadium in the mineral, and the mineral was named "vanadinite" after Vanadis, another name for the Norse goddess Freyja, because of the mineral's variety of colours.