Ferberita
Ferberita is a mineral with formula FeWO₄, in the Wolframatos group. This specimen comes from Panasqueira / Cabeço do Pião, Aldeia de S. Francisco, Covilhã, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
Description
A 360° thumbnail ferberite floater topped by creamy siderite that drapes over the back. Undamaged.
About Ferberita
Ferberite forms the iron-rich end-member FeWO₄ of the wolframite series, opposite the manganese-rich hübnerite MnWO₄. It serves as the primary source of wolfram—a name meaning "wolf froth," coined by Saxon smelters who claimed the mineral devoured tin like a wolf preys on sheep. The Elhuyar brothers isolated the metal in 1783, assigning it the chemical symbol W, though the term tungsten (Swedish for "heavy stone") took hold in English. With the highest melting point of any metal and exceptional heat tolerance, it became a critical strategic material in the 20th century, playing a pivotal role in WWII armor plating and weaponry especially for the nazis.
About the locality
Cabeço do Pião belongs to the Panasqueira district, known for wolframite, quartz and siderite.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0661
- Composition
- FeWO₄
- Name
- Ferberita
- Group
- Wolframatos
- Category
- Cresta Montis
- Associations
- siderita
- Mine
- Panasqueira / Cabeço do Pião
- District / Municipality
- Aldeia de S. Francisco
- Province
- Covilhã
- Region
- Castelo Branco
- Country
- Portugal
- Size (cm)
- 4.5 x 4 x 3
- Weight
- 66.4 g
- Etymology
- Named after Moritz Rudolph Ferber, a German chemist associated with the study of these minerals.
- Quality
- Notable
- Value trend
- Estable
Related specimens
- Pirolusita — Portugal
- Autunita — Portugal
- Libethenita — Portugal
- Autunita (Verde) — Portugal
- Autunita — Portugal
- Autunita — Portugal
- Furcalita — Portugal
- Meta-autunita (Primaria) — Portugal