The Phoenixville mining district is the only Pennsylvania locale where wulfenite is found in any abundance, yet even here, the crystals are small and widely scattered. Wheatley wulfenite varies widely in both form and color, even within an area as small as a single specimen. The mineral Stolzite was incorrectly identified here, in part due to wulfenites variety of habit in such close association. Wheatley himself made this error in identification (Genth; Min PA 1875, pg.145) as did Samuel Gordon (Min PA 1922, pg.148). Not until 1965 was a specimen of supposed stolzite x-ray powder tested and proven to be simply grayish, pyramidal crystals of wulfenite.
Habit:
vary widely from square platy tablets to elongated steeply pyamidal
Colour:
vary widely from bright yellow, reddish orange to greyish
Luminescent properties:
none
Quality for species:
Poor for species, only of interest for locality collectors. (#)
Wheatley Mines, Schuylkill Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA