Native vanadium is an extremely rare metallic mineral that almost exclusively occurs as microscopic grains embedded within igneous rocks. Due to its high reactivity with oxygen, authentic native vanadium is rarely found in its pure state and is primarily of interest to advanced mineral collectors or metallurgical researchers.
Is this vanadium?
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 vanadium with a known reference. Vanadium sits at Mohs 7 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Vanadium leaves a grey streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Vanadium typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: silver-gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: massive.
Often confused with
Vanadium vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Vanadium is noticeably harder (Mohs 7 vs. 4-5); streak differs — Vanadium leaves grey, Native Iron leaves steel gray.
How to tell apart: Vanadium is noticeably harder (Mohs 7 vs. 2.5-3); streak differs — Vanadium leaves grey, Native Copper leaves copper-red.
Often found alongside vanadium
Minerals reported to co-occur with vanadium. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- V
- Mohs hardness
- 7
- Density
- 6.1 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Grey
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Massive
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Industrial, Collector
- Host rock
- Igneous Rocks
- Typical price
- $100-500 for microscopic grains
Where rockhounds find vanadium
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Tungsten Hills, California, USA
- Kola Peninsula, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Look in igneous rocks country — that is the host setting where vanadium typically forms. If you start seeing magnetite, ilmenite, pyroxene in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Nevada, Utah — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find vanadium on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
