Scheelite Powellite - Mittersill, Austria
Contributed by: Mark Cole
Date: Apr 4th, 2026
Locality: Mittersill Scheelite deposit, Mittersill, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria (See on Mindat)
Description:
The scheelite from Mittersill exhibits different fluorescent colors under shortwave UV illumination depending on its molydenum content. Research has shown that the yellow fluorescent scheelite at Mittersill formed first and it contains 0.1 to 1.8 wt% molybdenum substitution for tungsten. Blue, fluorescent scheelite at Mittersill is younger and is molybdenum poor. The yellow fluorescing scheelite is sometimes identified as powellite, but it is really molybdenum rich scheelite.
EDITOR NOTE: The yellow fluorescent mineral under shortwave UV light could be either powellite or Mo-rich scheelite; hard to distinguish without chemical analysis.
Originally posted by Mark Cole on Nature's Rainbows in 2016.
Summary of luminescence responses:
Powellite (Mindat) (RRUFF)
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (254nm Lamp/Mercury) UV light: Yellow
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (254nm Lamp/Mercury) UV light: Blue