Stolzite Gemstone: Properties, Meanings, Value & More

Stolzite is a tungstate mineral in the scheelite family. It’s a lesser-known gemstone often found in shades of brown and yellow, mostly known among collectors.

Is stolzite rare? As a mineral, stolzite is fairly rare. It’s rarer than its fellow scheelite group member wulfenite. Like all the group members except scheelite, stolzite is rarely cut as a gemstone.

However, stolzite has beautiful crystal properties!

We’ll go over all those properties and more today, as we harness our years of experience in the gemstone field to bring you a comprehensive guide to stolzite traits, uses, prices, and history.

Pictured above: Caramel-colored, translucent stolzite crystals perched on a limonite matrix from Broken Hill, Australia | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

About Stolzite Stone

Stolzite is a rare semi-precious gemstone beloved in rich caramel hues. It’s similar to wulfenite, and shares many of wulfenite’s gorgeous crystal properties, such as:

• Autumnal colors

• Sometimes diamond-like luster

• High refractive index (meaning more sparkle)

Outside the gemstone realm, stolzite is also similar to wulfenite in its industrial uses.

So, what is stolzite used for?

Stolzite Uses

The most important stolzite characteristic in the industrial realm is its tungstate and lead content. Starting with the former, stolzite is used to make tungsten metal.

Some important applications of tungsten are:

• Electrical wires

• Electrodes

• Light bulb filaments

• Cathode ray tubes

• Heavy metal alloys

• Superalloys

One example of an important tungsten heavy metal alloy is high-speed steel (HSS or HS), a material used in powerful cutting tools like power-saws, bowl gouges, drill bits, and skew chisels.

Extreme high-temperature technology relies on superalloys, and tungsten superalloys are often used for wear- and heat-resistant coatings or gas turbines.

Pictured above: Tungsten crystals grown in a halogen bulb | Image credit: Cccucumber, CC-BY-SA-4.0

Tungsten crystals that has grown in halogen bulb

Secondly, stolzite is important as a lead tungstate crystal.

Lead tungstate crystals make great scintillators. Scintillators can convert high-energy radiation (like X-rays or gamma-rays) to visible light (luminescence) when ionizing radiation excites them.

Uses for these scintillators include:

• Medical diagnostic detectors (e.g. nuclear imaging, CT scans)

• Military radiation detectors

• X-ray security

• Particle detectors (e.g. ALICE & CMS experiments)

Scientists have created synthetic stolzite for industrial use, but no synthetic stolzites have been seen on the gemstone market.

Stolzite Specifications & Characteristics

As a lead tungstate mineral, the formula for stolzite is PbWO4. Molybdenum is a common impurity, forming the variety molybdenian stolzite, as stolzite forms a series with the wulfenite.

In the series, stolzite is the tungsten-dominant endmember, while wulfenite is the molybdenum-dominant endmember.

Both stolzite and wulfenite are in the scheelite group. Other minerals in the group are powellite, raspite, ronpetersonite, and of course, scheelite.

Raspite and stolzite are actually dimorphous — they have the same formula, but raspite is monoclinic.

In terms of habits, stolzite crystals may be thick & tabular, dipyramidal, or some other form of pyramidal. Crystals can also be tabular and dipyramidal.

Additionally, striation is common on stolzite crystals — prism faces often have horizontal striations, while pyramidal faces may have striations parallel or diagonal to the edges.

Stolzite properties listed:

• Mohs hardness: 2.5-3

• Color: Brown, reddish-brown, yellowish-brown, beige, tan, yellowish-red, straw-yellow, lemon-yellow, orange-yellow, yellowish-gray, smoky-gray, grayish-brown; Rarely orange, red, or green

• Crystal structure: Tetragonal

• Luster: Resinous or sub-adamantine

• Transparency: Translucent to transparent; Often only transparent in thin pieces

• Refractive index: 2.18-2.27

• Density: 7.90-8.34

• Cleavage: Imperfect/fair on {001} & indistinct on {011}

• Fracture: Irregular/uneven or conchoidal

• Streak: White

• Luminescence: Sometimes fluorescence - bright red to red-orange in LW-UV & lemon-yellow in SW-UV

• Pleochroism: None

• Birefringence: 0.080-0.090

• Dispersion: Not reported

Pictured above: Note dated 1835 attached to stolzite (pre-stolzite discovery) crystals from Bohemia | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Stolzite History

Austrian mineralogist Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger chose the name “stolzite” in his 1845 description of the mineral to honor Bohemian (Czech) physician & mineral collector Johann Anton Stolz.

Stolz provided Haidinger stolzite specimens to analyze, which Stolz found at the historic Zinnwald-Cínovec mining region in the Ore Mountains, now the type locality.

However, Haidinger didn’t write stolzite’s first description.

German mineralogist Johann Friedrich August Breithaupt described the lead tungstate first in 1820. He called it “Scheel-Bleispath,” now a German synonym.

In 1832, French mineralogist & geologist François Sulpice Beudant wrote another description of the stone, calling it “Scheeltine” — now a French synonym.

Stolzite Healing Properties

As an often yellow healing stone, stolzite has the joyful and revitalizing properties of other yellow gemstones, along with being a solar plexus chakra stone.

Physical Healing

For physical healing, crystal healers recommend stolzite for treating issues related to:

• Metabolism

• Libido

• Spine

• Nutrient absorption

• Digestive system

Emotional Healing

Emotionally, stolzite crystals are believed to:

• Boost creativity

• Dispel negativity, internal & external

• Clear your mind

• Foster resilience

• Soothe tempers

• Increase motivation

Warning: Do NOT consume crystal elixirs infused with stolzite.

Pictured above: Large, tan to gray stolzite crystal from Darwin District in California; Bob Byers Collection | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Stolzite Gemstone Properties

Besides rarity, a stolzite gemstone’s value also depends on color, cut, clarity/transparency, and carat weight.

Color

Stolzite comes in many yellow to brown shades, with some rare red or green hues, too.

The best stolzite colors are saturated and uniform. Vibrant shades of caramel, orange, or peach are often more valuable.

Cut

Stolzite’s softness and rarity make faceted stolzites very difficult to come across… and very valuable.

Most often, stolzite for sale is rough (uncut).

Clarity & Transparency

Clarity describes the degree of visible inclusions in a gem, which can lower its transparency and value. Many stolzites contain inclusions, such as:

• White clouds

• Liquids in crystallizing gaps

• Impurity phase (e.g. grossular garnet, quartz)

Stolzite is rarely transparent, making any degree of translucent diaphaneity or higher more valuable.

Carat Weight & Size

Most stolzite crystals are very small, with any over 2 mm being considered large. However, there are a few exceptions.

• Australia – up to 1 inch & facetable

• Sainte-Lucie mine in France – up to 5 cm long, often considered finest in the world

• Tsumeb, Namibia – up to 3 cm, also considered “world’s best”

Since most specimens are still small, though, size is often the most important factor for stolzite’s value.

Pictured above: Stolzite crystals on matrix from Darwin District in California, USA | Image credit: Kelly Nash, CC-BY-SA-3.0

Stolzite Formation & Sources

Stolzite and raspite are the only natural mineral forms of lead tungstate. Stolzite is secondary, meaning it forms when an outside force — here, oxidation — alters primary minerals — usually lead sulfides, lead sulfosalts, or molybdenite.

As such, stolzite minerals are typically found in oxidized zones of hydrothermal, tungsten-bearing lead deposits.

Geographically, where is stolzite found?

Mining Locations

Several localities produce stolzite, but only a few are notable. The best stolzite crystals come from Broken Hill (Australia), Tsumeb (Namibia), and the Sainte-Lucie mine (France).

Other notable sources of stolzite are:

• Brazil

• Czech Republic

• England, UK

• Germany

• Nigeria

• Sardinia

• USA (Arizona, California Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Utah)

Pictured above: Close-up of sharp and gemmy stolzite crystals with raspite crystals on specimen; Rice Northwest Museum Collection | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Stolzite Price & Value

Almost all stolzite are sold as rough specimens, which vary broadly in price.

At the high end are large crystals with saturated caramel colors and diamond-like luster. These are often from France and go for around $200 to $1,200.

Smaller stolzite crystals from Sainte-Lucie mine or Australia with good yellow to orange coloring go for about $120 to $170.

Tiny gray, orange, or pale yellow stolzite crystals cost around $30 to $75.

Stolzite Care and Maintenance

First and foremost, you should know stolzite has a high toxicity risk because of its lead and tungsten content. If you’re just handling it though, don’t worry too much — ingestion and inhalation are the toxic routes.

It’s mostly a hazard for lapidarists (gem cutters), but it’s important to avoid scratching the soft stolzite, as inhaling particles that come off is bad.

Additionally, keep stolzite away from anyone who’d put it in their mouths (e.g. children or pets) and wash your hands after handling it.

Onto gemstone care. Stolzite has quite low hardness, so we don’t recommend wearing it in jewelry. Store it away from other gems to avoid scratches.

Also keep it away from acids, particularly hydrochloric acid.

Can’t Stop Staring at Stolzite Stones?

Stolzite is a rare lead tungstate mineral with gorgeous autumnal colors. Not only is it invaluable to various industries, but it’s also a sparkling treasure with positivity-inducing hues — perfect for any collection!

Buy stolzite and other stunning gemstones today!