Vanadinite Vanadinite Vanadinite is a mineral belonging to the apatite group of phosphates, with the chemical formula Pb(VO)Cl. It is one of the main industrial ores of the metal vanadium and a minor source of lead. A dense, brittle mineral, it is usually found in the form of red hexagonal crystals. It is an uncommon mineral, formed by the oxidation of lead ore deposits such as galena. First discovered in 1801 in Mexico, vanadinite deposits have since been unearthed in South America, Europe, Africa, and North America. Vanadinite is an uncommon mineral, only occurring as the result of chemical alterations to
Primary minerals Primary minerals A primary mineral is any mineral formed during the original crystallization of the host igneous primary rock and includes the essential mineral(s) used to classify the rock along with any accessory minerals. In ore deposit geology, hypogene processes occur deep below the earth's surface, and tend to form deposits of primary minerals, as opposed to supergene processes that occur at or near the surface, and tend to form secondary minerals. The elemental and mineralogical composition of primary rocks is determined by the chemical composition of the volcanic or magmatic flow from which it is formed. Extrusive rocks (such