Bauxite is a sedimentary rock that serves as the primary world source of aluminum, typically forming through the intense chemical weathering of rocks in tropical climates. It is characterized by its earthy, pisolitic, or oolitic texture and commonly exhibits a distinct red or mottled appearance due to high iron oxide content.
Is this bauxite?
4-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 bauxite with a known reference. Bauxite sits at Mohs 1-3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Pick out the mineralsComposition: Gibbsite, boehmite and diaspore with goethite, hematite, kaolinite and small amounts of anatase and ilmenite. Identify the two or three most abundant grains.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: dull.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: red, brown, tan, white, gray.
Often confused with
Bauxite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside bauxite
Minerals reported to co-occur with bauxite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Mohs hardness
- 1-3
- Density
- 2.0-2.5 g/cm³
- Luster
- Dull
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Industrial, Ore
- Host rock
- weathered tropical soils
- Composition
- Gibbsite, boehmite and diaspore with goethite, hematite, kaolinite and small amounts of anatase and ilmenite
Where rockhounds find bauxite
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Australia
- Guinea
- Brazil
- Jamaica
- India
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: weathered tropical soils. If you start seeing gibbsite, boehmite, diaspore in float, you are in the right ground. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Arkansas, Tennessee. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify bauxite?+
Where is bauxite found?+
Can I find bauxite in the United States?+
What rocks look like bauxite?+
What minerals are found with bauxite?+
What kind of rock does bauxite form in?+
What is bauxite used for?+
Find bauxite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
