Judging quality
Look for bright apple-green color, high lustre and complete undamaged crystal faces across the specimen face.
Phosphate
Pyromorphite
Barrel-shaped green hexagonal crystals with a resinous glow, forming dense druses on matrix. Chinese material from Guangxi transformed the market in the 2000s.
Care
Contains lead; wash hands after handling. Soft and easily abraded.
History & lore
Its name refers to the way a melted bead recrystallises into a faceted form on cooling.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Pyromorphite
- What is Pyromorphite?
- Barrel-shaped green hexagonal crystals with a resinous glow, forming dense druses on matrix. Chinese material from Guangxi transformed the market in the 2000s.
- How hard is Pyromorphite and what is it made of?
- Pyromorphite is a Phosphate-family mineral with the composition Pb5(PO4)3Cl. It crystallizes in the hexagonal system and rates 3.5-4 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in green, yellow.
- Where does Pyromorphite come from?
- Notable localities for Pyromorphite include China (Guangxi), Germany, France, USA (Idaho).
- How do you tell good Pyromorphite from filler?
- Look for bright apple-green color, high lustre and complete undamaged crystal faces across the specimen face.
- How do you care for Pyromorphite?
- Contains lead; wash hands after handling. Soft and easily abraded.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.