Witherite is a barium carbonate mineral best recognized by its characteristic pseudohexagonal twinned crystals that appear as rounded, six-sided pyramids. Collectors should look for its distinctive bright fluorescence under ultraviolet light and its notably high specific gravity compared to similar carbonate minerals.
Is this witherite?
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 witherite with a known reference. Witherite sits at Mohs 3-3.5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Witherite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Witherite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, gray, yellow, brown, colorless.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: pseudohexagonal dipyramidal crystals, often twinned into trillings.
Often confused with
Witherite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside witherite
Minerals reported to co-occur with witherite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- BaCO₃
- Mohs hardness
- 3-3.5
- Density
- 4.3 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Pseudohexagonal Dipyramidal Crystals, Often Twinned Into Trillings
- Cleavage
- Distinct On {010}
- Fluorescence
- Bright Blue-white or Yellow Under SW UV
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Collector, Industrial Source of Barium
- Host rock
- Low-temperature Hydrothermal Veins and Lead-zinc Deposits
- Typical price
- $10-100 thumbnail, $50-500 cabinet specimen
Where rockhounds find witherite
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Cumbria, England
- Rossie, New York, USA
- Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, USA
- Minami-aizu, Japan
Field-hunting tip
Look in low-temperature hydrothermal veins and lead-zinc deposits country — that is the host setting where witherite typically forms. If you start seeing baryte, galena, fluorite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a pseudohexagonal dipyramidal crystals, often twinned into trillings habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Illinois, Ohio — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify witherite?+
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Find witherite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
