Vanadinite is a lead chlorovanadate mineral that is classified in the apatite group. It is an uncommon ore of vanadium in the places where it occurs, it is often associated with lead deposit minerals such as barite, limonite, galena, and wulfenite. Specimens with good colors and a high luster are popular with mineral collectors, especially where the crystals are well formed; those generally occur as hexagonal systems. Vanadinite was first discovered in Mexico in 1803; however, at the stage it was considered to be a chromate mineral, as the element vanadium had not yet been identified.
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