Anatase is one of the three natural polymorphs of titanium dioxide. It is highly prized by collectors for its sharp, brilliant, and often deep-blue or black bipyramidal crystals that form in alpine-type clefts.
Is this anatase?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch anatase with a known reference. Anatase sits at Mohs 5.5-6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white to pale yellow.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: adamantine to splendent, metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black, brown, blue, yellow, reddish brown, yellowish brown, dark blue, gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: pyramidal, tabular.
Often confused with
Anatase vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Anatase leaves white to pale yellow, Rutile leaves pale brown, yellowish brown; gray, greenish black with high nb–ta.
How to tell apart: Luster reads adamantine to splendent, metallic on Anatase and metallic adamantine to submetallic on Brookite.
Often found alongside anatase
Minerals reported to co-occur with anatase. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- TiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5-6
- Density
- 3.79-3.97 g/cm³
- Streak
- White to pale yellow
- Luster
- Adamantine to splendent, metallic
- Transparency
- Transparent when light colored, to nearly opaque when deeply colored
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Pyramidal, tabular
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {001} and {011}
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector, Scientific research
- Host rock
- Usually secondary, derived from other titanium-bearing minerals
Where rockhounds find anatase
Classic worldwide localities
- Buckingham Co., Virginia, USA
- Quincy, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, USA
- Placerville, Eldorado Co., California, USA
- Alpine veins at many localities throughout the Swiss, French, and Italian and Tirolian Alps: Binn, Valais, and at Cavradi, Tavetsch, Graubünden, Switzerland
- LaGrave, Hautes-Alpes, and Bourg d’Oisans, Isère, France
- Kragerø, Norway
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Usually secondary, derived from other titanium-bearing minerals. If you start seeing brookite, rutile, titanite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: pyramidal, tabular. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify anatase?+
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What rocks look like anatase?+
What minerals are found with anatase?+
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Find anatase on the map
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