The facts
What scheelite actually is
Scheelite is classified as scheelite, with the composition Ca(WO₄). It crystallises in the tetragonal system.
Colour comes from colourless to orange-brown; Mo substitution shifts the bright blue-white shortwave UV fluorescence towards yellow, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.918–1.934. Specific gravity around 5.9–6.1. Cleavage: distinct {101}. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where scheelite comes from
Scheelite is produced at Mount Xuebaoding, Pingwu, Sichuan, China, Traversella, Piedmont, Italy, Tae Wha Mine, South Korea and Zinnwald/Cínovec, Czech Republic–Germany.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How scheelite is treated
Untreated. Notable for brilliant blue-white shortwave UV fluorescence used in prospecting. Synthetic scheelite was produced as a diamond simulant in the 1960s and turns up in older jewellery. Soft and cleavable, so a display stone.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What scheelite is confused with
In the trade scheelite is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Synthetic scheelite, Powellite, Zircon, Sphene or Cassiterite.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.918–1.934 and specific gravity 5.9–6.1 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What scheelite is used for
Demand for scheelite comes from mineral collecting, jewellery, heavy industry and metallurgy, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen, by the carat or by the tonne.
Durability and care
Scheelite is 4.5–5 on the Mohs scale, with distinct {101} cleavage.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What scheelite costs
As a guide, scheelite trades around Faceted stones $80–$400/ct; fine Chinese crystals on matrix $200–$20,000.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is scheelite treated, and how?
Untreated. Notable for brilliant blue-white shortwave UV fluorescence used in prospecting. Synthetic scheelite was produced as a diamond simulant in the 1960s and turns up in older jewellery. Soft and cleavable, so a display stone.
Where does scheelite come from?
Mount Xuebaoding, Pingwu, Sichuan, China, Traversella, Piedmont, Italy, Tae Wha Mine, South Korea and Zinnwald/Cínovec, Czech Republic–Germany. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is scheelite hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 4.5–5 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does scheelite cost?
Indicatively Faceted stones $80–$400/ct; fine Chinese crystals on matrix $200–$20,000. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is scheelite confused with?
Most often Synthetic scheelite, Powellite, Zircon, Sphene and Cassiterite. A refractive index of 1.918–1.934 and a specific gravity near 5.9–6.1 separate it quickly.
What is scheelite used for besides jewellery?
mineral collecting, heavy industry and metallurgy. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for scheelite?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about scheelite