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 — that is 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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