Specimens Wolfeite is a rare and obscure mineral. It is found in altered granite pegmatites with other rare phosphate minerals. This is important because the presence of wolfeite indicates that the iron and manganese have not undergone extensive oxidation. Wolfeite may be an intermediate between minerals such as hornblende which contains iron at a positive two state and higher oxidized phosphates such as purpurite . Wolfeite, whose name could easily be confused with both wolframite and wulfenite is a nice rare mineral with a rather high luster and interesting color that any collector would love to own.
Color is reddish to dark brown.
Luster is vitreous to adamantine or even greasy. Transparency crystals are rarely transparent, but more commonly translucent. Cleavage is absent. Fracture is uneven. Streak is white.