Crocoita
Crocoita is a mineral with formula PbCrO₄, in the Cromatos group. This specimen comes from Adelaide Mine, Dundas, Zeehan, Tasmania, Australia and joined the Terrium collection in 2025.
Description
Spherical aggregate with internal red acicular crystals. This piece shows sharp, tooth-like, well-defined crystals, typical of the Dundas locality. Invites hand-lens inspection.
About Crocoita
Crocoite is a lead chromate known for its intense red-orange colour and elongated prismatic crystals. It is brittle, with vitreous lustre, and usually forms in cavities of metamorphic rocks where chromium and lead are present.
About the locality
The Adelaide Mine in Dundas (Tasmania) is the legendary type locality for crocoite, but the real soul of this specimen lies in the hands that collected it: it was personally extracted by Shane Schreiber. This local miner is celebrated for the surgical precision and deep respect he brings to saving these fragile formations from the rock. Pockets with crystals this long, sharp, and lustrous are increasingly scarce as the richest zones face exhaustion.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0055
- Composition
- PbCrO₄
- Name
- Crocoita
- Group
- Cromatos
- Category
- Cavella
- Matrix
- Matriz terrosa limonítica
- Mine
- Adelaide Mine
- District / Municipality
- Dundas
- Province
- Zeehan
- Region
- Tasmania
- Country
- Australia
- Size (cm)
- 5 x 3.5 x 2.5
- Weight
- 41.8 g
- Acquired
- 2025
- Ex-collection
- Shane Schreiber
- Etymology
- The name "crocoite" comes from the Greek krokos (κρόκος), meaning "saffron", in reference to its red-orange colour similar to the stigma of that flower. It was first described in the 18th century, and its chemical formula is PbCrO₄ (lead chromate).
- Quality
- Buena
- Value trend
- Estable