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. Streak: yellow to reddish-brown.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: earthy.
- 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, so 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: Goethite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5-5.5 vs. 1-2); streak differs, so Ocher leaves yellow to reddish-brown, Goethite leaves brownish yellow, yellow-orange, ocher-yellow; luster reads earthy on Ocher and imperfect adamantine metallic to dull earthy; silky when fibrous on Goethite.
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
Where rockhounds find ocher
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- France
- Italy
- Cyprus
- USA
- Australia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: sedimentary deposits. If you start seeing clay, quartz, hematite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: massive, earthy, powdery. 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.
More ocher photos
Common questions
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Find ocher on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
