WULFENITE

Wulfenite is a mineral composed of lead molybdate, represented by the chemical formula PbMoO4. It typically forms as thin, tabular crystals that exhibit a vibrant color range from bright orange-red to yellow-orange, and occasionally brown, with significant color variation. In its yellow variant, it is sometimes referred to as "yellow lead ore." 

This mineral crystallizes in the tetragonal system and can appear as stubby, pyramidal, or tabular forms, as well as earthy, granular aggregates. Wulfenite is commonly found in various locations, often as a secondary mineral in the oxidized zones of lead ore deposits, and it serves as a secondary source of molybdenum, making it a sought-after specimen for collectors. 

First identified in 1845 from a site in Bad Bleiberg, Carinthia, Austria, Wulfenite was named in honor of the Austrian mineralogist Franz Xavier von Wulfen. It is typically associated with other minerals such as cerussite, anglesite, smithsonite, hemimorphite, vanadinite, pyromorphite, mimetite, descloizite, plattnerite, and various iron and manganese oxides within oxidized hydrothermal lead deposits.