Ocher is an earthy, iron-rich clay pigment that occurs in colors ranging from golden yellow to deep red. It is typically found in sedimentary deposits and has been used as a coloring agent by humans for tens of thousands of years. Collectors usually value ocher in its natural, unrefined state for geological displays.
Is this ocher?
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 ocher with a known reference. Ocher 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. Ocher leaves a yellow to reddish-brown streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Ocher typically shows a earthy luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow, brown, red.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: massive, earthy, powdery.
Often confused with
Ocher vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Limonite is the harder of the two (Mohs 4-5.5 vs. 1-2); streak differs — Ocher leaves yellow to reddish-brown, Limonite leaves yellowish-brown; luster reads earthy on Ocher and submetallic to earthy on Limonite.
How to tell apart: Iron Ore is the harder of the two (Mohs 5-6.5 vs. 1-2); streak differs — Ocher leaves yellow to reddish-brown, Iron Ore leaves reddish-brown to black; luster reads earthy on Ocher and metallic to submetallic on Iron Ore.
Often found alongside ocher
Minerals reported to co-occur with ocher. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Fe₂O₃·nH₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 1-2
- Density
- 2.5-4.0 g/cm³
- Streak
- Yellow to Reddish-brown
- Luster
- Earthy
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Massive, Earthy, Powdery
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Pigment, Artist Paint, Collector
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Deposits
- Typical price
- $5-30 per sample
Where rockhounds find ocher
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- France
- Italy
- Cyprus
- USA
- Australia
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary deposits country — that is the host setting where ocher typically forms. If you start seeing clay, quartz, hematite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive, earthy, powdery habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Florida, West Virginia — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find ocher on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
