Radium is an extremely rare, highly radioactive metallic element found only in trace amounts within uranium ores. It is never found in pure form in nature and requires extensive chemical extraction processes to isolate, making it essentially unavailable to the public.
Is this radium?
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 radium with a known reference. Radium sits at Mohs approx 2 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Radium leaves a metallic white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Radium typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: silvery-white, blackened-by-oxidation.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: metallic crusts or disseminated grains.
Often found alongside radium
Minerals reported to co-occur with radium. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ra
- Mohs hardness
- approx 2
- Density
- 5.5 g/cm³
- Streak
- Metallic White
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Metallic Crusts or Disseminated Grains
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Historical Medical Research, Radiological Calibration
- Host rock
- Uranium-bearing Mineral Deposits
- Typical price
- Not sold on the open collector market
Where rockhounds find radium
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- United States
Field-hunting tip
Look in uranium-bearing mineral deposits country — that is the host setting where radium typically forms. If you start seeing uraninite, autunite, carnotite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a metallic crusts or disseminated grains habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Nevada — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find radium on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
