mineral
Limonite (Gossan or Iron-stained Rock)
Hydrated Iron Oxide-Hydroxide, FeO(OH)n(H2O)
Hardness ranges from 4 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale. Color is typically yellowish-brown, brown, or ochre. Luster is earthy, submetallic, or silky. It has no distinct crystal structure, usually forming amorphous, botryoidal, or massive aggregates.
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Physical properties
Hardness ranges from 4 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale. Color is typically yellowish-brown, brown, or ochre. Luster is earthy, submetallic, or silky. It has no distinct crystal structure, usually forming amorphous, botryoidal, or massive aggregates.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the secondary oxidation and weathering of primary iron-bearing sulfide minerals or other iron-rich rocks, often occurring in gossans above sulfide ore deposits.
Uses & applications
Historically used as a pigment (ochre), a minor ore of iron, and by mineral collectors.
Geological facts
Limonite is not a true distinct mineral species, but rather a mixture of related iron oxide minerals, predominantly goethite, lepidocrocite, and jarosite.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its characteristic yellowish-brown to rust-brown streak and earthy appearance. Commonly found worldwide in oxidized zones of ore deposits and weathering crusts.
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