Mpororoite is a rare hydrated tungsten oxide that typically occurs as soft, earthy, or powdery coatings within tungsten-bearing veins. It is most easily identified by its distinct yellowish color in field settings where ferberite has undergone secondary alteration.
Is this mpororoite?
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 mpororoite with a known reference. Mpororoite sits at Mohs 2-3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Mpororoite leaves a yellow streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Mpororoite typically shows a earthy luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow, greenish-yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: massive, powdery, coatings.
Often confused with
Mpororoite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside mpororoite
Minerals reported to co-occur with mpororoite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- WO₃·2H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 2-3
- Density
- 4.15 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Yellow
- Luster
- Earthy
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Massive, Powdery, Coatings
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Tungsten Deposits
- Typical price
- $50-300 per specimen
Where rockhounds find mpororoite
Classic worldwide localities
- Mpororo, Uganda
- San Luis, Argentina
- California, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal tungsten deposits country, the host setting where mpororoite typically forms. If you start seeing ferberite, quartz, muscovite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive, powdery, coatings habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find mpororoite on the map
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