Uraninite is the primary ore of uranium, often appearing as heavy, dense, black botryoidal masses. It is frequently associated with secondary uranium minerals like bright yellow autunite or green torbernite, which form as it weathers.
Is this uranium ore?
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 uranium ore with a known reference. Uranium Ore sits at Mohs 5-6 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Uranium Ore leaves a brownish-black streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Uranium Ore typically shows a submetallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: black, brown, gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: massive, botryoidal, colloform.
Often confused with
Uranium Ore vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Uranium Ore leaves brownish-black, Magnetite leaves black; luster reads submetallic on Uranium Ore and metallic on Magnetite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Uranium Ore leaves brownish-black, Iron Ore leaves reddish-brown to black; luster reads submetallic on Uranium Ore and metallic to submetallic on Iron Ore.
Often found alongside uranium ore
Minerals reported to co-occur with uranium ore. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- UO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 5-6
- Density
- 6.5-10.9 g/cm³
- Streak
- Brownish-black
- Luster
- Submetallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Massive, Botryoidal, Colloform
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector, Source of Nuclear Fuel
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins, Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $20-200 depending on specimen size and radioactivity level
Where rockhounds find uranium ore
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- USA
- Kazakhstan
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins, granite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where uranium ore typically forms. If you start seeing gummite, autunite, torbernite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive, botryoidal, colloform habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Arkansas — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find uranium ore on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
