It forms yellow to reddish brown monoclinic-prismatic crystals with perfect cleavage.

A mineral which caught the attention of a Bohemian metallurgist, Adolf Patera, in the 1850s by its striking colour.

On top of the large, forgotten pit-heaps, powdery minerals began to appear, vividly coloured, originating from the decomposition of the pitchblende.

These colourful layers, in which zippeite was in the majority, gave Patera the idea of utilizing the uranium minerals in the manufacture of paints.

Apart from Jachymov in Bohemia it occurs mainly near Wölsendorf in Bavaria (Germany) and also in the US states of Utah and New Mexico.