Wakefieldite-(Ce) is a rare vanadate mineral typically found as tiny crystals or crusts in pegmatite pockets. It is primarily sought after by advanced collectors for its rarity and its inclusion in the xenotime structural group.
Is this wakefieldite-(ce)?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch wakefieldite-(ce) with a known reference. Wakefieldite-(Ce) sits at Mohs 4.5-5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: rust-brown.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous to adamantine.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: dark red, black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: prismatic, square.
Often confused with
Wakefieldite-(Ce) vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside wakefieldite-(ce)
Minerals reported to co-occur with wakefieldite-(ce). Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CeVO₄
- Mohs hardness
- 4.5-5
- Density
- 4.74 g/cm³
- Streak
- Rust-brown
- Luster
- Vitreous to adamantine
- Transparency
- Translucent to opaque
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic, square
- Cleavage
- On {100}, good
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In silicified limestone (Kusu deposit, Congo); in vesicles with zeolites (Yellow Lake, Canada)
Where rockhounds find wakefieldite-(ce)
Classic worldwide localities
- Kusu vanadium deposit, 85 km south of Kinshasa, Bas-Congo Province, Congo (Bas-Zaire Province, Zaire)
- Tifernine, Morocco
- North side of Yellow Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In silicified limestone (Kusu deposit, Congo); in vesicles with zeolites (Yellow Lake, Canada). If you start seeing mottramite, brewsterite, heulandite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: prismatic, square. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify wakefieldite-(ce)?+
Where is wakefieldite-(ce) found?+
Is wakefieldite-(ce) safe to handle?+
What rocks look like wakefieldite-(ce)?+
What minerals are found with wakefieldite-(ce)?+
What kind of rock does wakefieldite-(ce) form in?+
What is wakefieldite-(ce) used for?+
Find wakefieldite-(ce) on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
