Red ocher is an earthy, iron-rich variety of hematite that has been used since prehistoric times as a natural pigment. It typically forms as soft, clay-like deposits or coatings and is easily identified by its distinct reddish-brown color and characteristic red streak.
Is this red 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 red ocher with a known reference. Red Ocher sits at Mohs 1-5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Red Ocher leaves a red streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Red Ocher typically shows a dull luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: red, reddish-brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: earthy.
Often confused with
Red Ocher vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Red Ocher leaves red, Cinnabar leaves scarlet; luster reads dull on Red Ocher and adamantine on Cinnabar.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Red Ocher leaves red, Realgar leaves orange-red; luster reads dull on Red Ocher and resinous on Realgar.
Often found alongside red ocher
Minerals reported to co-occur with red ocher. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Fe₂O₃
- Mohs hardness
- 1-5
- Density
- 4.5-5.3 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Red
- Luster
- Dull
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Earthy
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Pigment, Collector
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Deposits
- Typical price
- $5-30 per sample
Where rockhounds find red ocher
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- England
- France
- Germany
- USA
- Spain
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary deposits country — that is the host setting where red ocher typically forms. If you start seeing hematite, clay, quartz in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a earthy habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Mississippi — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find red ocher on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
