Vanadinite in Cerussite

Vanadinite on a cerussite matrix, 54 grams, measuring 55 x 45 x 20 mm. It features perfect vanadinite crystallization of excellent quality, with crystal sizes up to 4 mm in diameter and abundant coverage on the cerussite matrix.

Vanadinite is a mineral belonging to class 8 (vanadates). Its name derives from its high vanadium content, although in some places it is known as "brown lead." It is almost always found in the oxidation zone of lead deposits in arid climates.

The first person to discover it in 1830 in Zimapán, Mexico, was Professor A.M. del Rio, a professor at the School of Mines of Mexico, who called it "brown lead." Later that same year, the Swedish chemist Nils Gabriel Sefström renamed it vanadinite. Vanadinite is named after Vanadis, the goddess of beauty in Scandinavian mythology.

Cerussite is a colorless or creamy-white lead carbonate; certain impurities give it various shades (gray, green, blue, and black) with a diamond, vitreous, resinous, or pearly luster. Its density is 6.4 to 6.6 g/cm³. It contains 83.5% lead oxide.

In ancient times, the Egyptians used cerussite, which they synthesized themselves, as eye makeup.

Origin: Morocco