Tungsten is an extremely rare native metal that is significantly denser than most common minerals, often noted for its immense weight in a small volume. It is highly resistant to heat and corrosion, primarily found in minute quantities within specific placer deposits or hydrothermal veins associated with tungsten ores. Due to its extreme melting point, it is almost never found in its native elemental form in nature compared to its common oxide ores.
Is this tungsten?
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 tungsten with a known reference. Tungsten sits at Mohs 7.5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Tungsten leaves a gray streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Tungsten typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: steel-gray, silver-white, blackish-gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: rarely found as crystals, usually massive or as small grains.
Often confused with
Tungsten vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside tungsten
Minerals reported to co-occur with tungsten. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- W
- Mohs hardness
- 7.5
- Density
- 19.3 g/cm³
- Streak
- Gray
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Rarely Found as Crystals, Usually Massive or as Small Grains
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Industrial, Collector
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins
- Typical price
- $50-500 depending on specimen size and purity
Where rockhounds find tungsten
13 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Russia
- Kazakhstan
- USA
- China
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins country — that is the host setting where tungsten typically forms. If you start seeing scheelite, wolframite, gold in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a rarely found as crystals, usually massive or as small grains habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Nevada, Montana, Idaho — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify tungsten?+
Where is tungsten found?+
Can I find tungsten in the United States?+
How much is tungsten worth?+
What rocks look like tungsten?+
What minerals are found with tungsten?+
What kind of rock does tungsten form in?+
What is tungsten used for?+
Find tungsten on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
