Yellow Ocher is a natural clay earth pigment composed primarily of hydrated iron oxide. It occurs as a soft, earthy, massive deposit often associated with weathered iron-bearing rocks and is historically significant as one of the oldest pigments used by humans.
Is this yellow ocher?
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 yellow ocher with a known reference. Yellow Ocher sits at Mohs 1-3, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Yellow Ocher leaves a yellowish-brown streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Yellow Ocher typically shows a earthy luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow, brownish-yellow, ochre-yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: earthy.
Often confused with
Yellow Ocher vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Limonite is the harder of the two (Mohs 4-5.5 vs. 1-3); luster reads earthy on Yellow Ocher and submetallic to earthy on Limonite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Yellow Ocher leaves yellowish-brown, Jarosite leaves yellow; luster reads earthy on Yellow Ocher and vitreous on Jarosite.
Often found alongside yellow ocher
Minerals reported to co-occur with yellow ocher. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- FeO(OH)·nH₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 1-3
- Density
- 3.3-4.3 g/cm³
- Streak
- Yellowish-brown
- Luster
- Earthy
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Earthy
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Pigment, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Iron Ore Deposits
- Typical price
- $5-30 per specimen
Where rockhounds find yellow ocher
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- France
- Italy
- Cyprus
- USA
- Germany
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary iron ore deposits country, the host setting where yellow ocher typically forms. If you start seeing hematite, kaolinite, quartz in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a earthy habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Kentucky, Mississippi. Start trip planning there.
More yellow ocher photos
Common questions
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Find yellow ocher on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
