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, 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?+
Where is witherite found?+
Can I find witherite in the United States?+
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Find witherite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
