Minerals explained 41

the presence of wolframite in the orebodies ‘devoured’ tin values due to the close similarity of wanted cassiterite and unwanted wolframite. It was not until the advent of magnetic separators that practical separation of the two minerals could be achieved. The same problem was experienced by Cornish miners, until they realized the value of what was originally thrown on the waste heaps. With the recent (2004) finding of an ingot of tungsten it is likely that the Cornish were ahead in their realization of the value of wolframite. The name wolframite was used by medieval alchemists who mistakenly identified it as an antimony salt but their work was quickly forgotten. In 1832 A. Breithaupt modified the original name volframite to wolframit. In 1892 Dana added the letter ‘e’ to the word as we know it now. The name wolframine refers to tungstite, a name unfortunately given to the oxidation salt by R.P. Greg and W.G. Lettsom in 1858. The name reinit has also been used to describe wolframite. It was given to honour J.J. Rein who discovered it, by K. Von Fritsch in 1878. It was subsequently found to be ferberite pseudomorphous after scheelite and is now discredited. The name megabasite (a synonym of hübnerite) was given by A. Breithaupt in 1852 after the Greek for greater and base as he considered that his formula contained a greater number of ions but it is now discredited although it appears in old literature. The name blumit, also found in old literature, was coined by K.T. Liebe in 1863 as a synonym of megabasite, to honour J.R. Blum of Heidelberg, but he did not realize that H. Fischer had used the same word in 1862 to describe the mineral bindheimite (Pb 2 Sb 2 O 6 (O.OH)) a sufficient reason to discredit both names. The credited name ferberite was introduced by A. Breithaupt in 1863 for FeWO 4 to honour Rudolph Ferber of Gerais, Germany. The name hübnerite was named by E.N. Riotte in 1865 for MnWO 4 to honour Hüttenmeister Adolph Hübner, a metallurgist of Freiberg in Saxony. Huebnerite was the preferred spelling in 1924 but the umlaut takes precedence and is used in modern nomenclature. The name sanmartinite was named after the locality from Recent thinking about nomenclature has decreed that the name wolframite ((Fe,Mn)WO 4 ) (one of the principal ores of tungsten (W)) should no longer be considered a valid mineral species as it lies approximately midway between two end members of an isomorphic series: ferberite (FeWO 4 ) and hübnerite (MnWO 4 ). The end members can be recognized by their physical features, but although many advanced mineral collectors could provide an informed guess, only quantitative analysis (at least) can decide whereabouts in the series wolframite actually lies. One can see the supposed logic behind the thinking in the discrediting of wolframite, even though the name was established many years ago, and is inexorably involved with its chemical, physical and mineralogical histories. Nevertheless, wolframite is used here largely due to the convenience of doing so as a descriptive term. Certainly in mining circles and amongst many mineralogists (both amateur and professional) the name wolframite is used, possibly due to lack of an analytical facility, especially in the field. It is ironic that the name wolframite is still used in the same literature which states categorically that it is no longer valid. Perhaps more thought, especially at an international level, should be employed.