Jordisite is an amorphous, molybdenum-rich mineral typically found as sooty or powdery black coatings in hydrothermal deposits. It is essentially an amorphous polymorph of molybdenite and is rarely found in crystalline form, making it a challenging but interesting specimen for collectors.
Is this jordisite?
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 jordisite with a known reference. Jordisite sits at Mohs 1-2 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Jordisite leaves a black streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Jordisite typically shows a dull luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black, brownish-black.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: amorphous. Typical habit: sooty, powdery, or earthy masses.
Often confused with
Jordisite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside jordisite
Minerals reported to co-occur with jordisite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- MoS₂
- Mohs hardness
- 1-2
- Density
- 4.7-4.8 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Black
- Luster
- Dull
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Amorphous
- Crystal habit
- Sooty, Powdery, Or Earthy Masses
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Geological Study
- Host rock
- Low-temperature Hydrothermal Veins
- Typical price
- $20-100 for small samples
Where rockhounds find jordisite
Classic worldwide localities
- Jáchymov, Czech Republic
- Bad Bleiberg, Austria
- Idaho, USA
- Kazakhstan
Field-hunting tip
Look in low-temperature hydrothermal veins country — that is the host setting where jordisite typically forms. If you start seeing molybdenite, calcite, pyrite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a sooty, powdery, or earthy masses habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find jordisite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
