Guide
Goethite specimens for sale
128 for sale · $40–$17,500 USD
409 in the gallery
Goethite is an iron oxide hydroxide mineral with a characteristic brown to yellow-brown color and a range of habit types, including needle-like crystals, botryoidal aggregates, and tabular/dendritic forms. It often displays a dull to adamantine luster in well-formed specimens and can form as a product of iron oxide weathering in oxidizing environments, commonly associated with hematite and limonite. Notable collections feature goethite specimens from classic locales, and well-cut crystals from various deposits display weathered surfaces that reveal its earthy chemistry.
- Formula
- α-Fe3+O(OH)
- Rarity
- Common
- Stability
- Stable
- Collector interest
- Moderate Interest
- Classification notes
- Oxide-hydroxide; goethite group
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- orthorhombic
- Mohs hardness
- 5–5.5
- Specific gravity
- 3.3–4.3
- Luster
- adamantine, metallic, submetallic, silky, dull
- Transparency
- translucent, opaque
- Color
- black, brown, red, orange, yellow
- Streak
- brown, yellow
- Cleavage
- perfect
- Fracture
- uneven, splintery
- Crystal habit
- prismatic, acicular, fibrous, radiating, botryoidal, reniform, stalactitic, druzy, granular, massive
- Classic / historic
Buy Goethite specimens
View all 128Where Goethite is found
Top localities
- Santa Eulalia Mining District14 specimens
- Montreal Mine12 specimens
- Lake George11 specimens
- Bisbee9 specimens
- Dreamtime claim9 specimens
- Okorusu Mine9 specimens
- Milpillas Mine8 specimens
- Ojuela Mine8 specimens
- Christiana Mine7 specimens
- Graves Mountain7 specimens
Guides
All guides
Guide
Goethite from Tsumeb, Namibia
Goethite - from Tsumeb, Namibia: yellow-brown earthy masses, velvety acicular crystals, and botryoidal forms; prized for texture and paragenesis.Read guide
Guide
Goethite from Tharsis Mines, Huelva, Spain
Goethite from Tharsis Mines, Huelva, Spain: iridescent textures and botryoidal fronts; prized by collectors for color, form, and locality.Read guide
Guide
Goethite from Ojuela Mine, Mapimí, Mexico
Goethite from Ojuela Mine, Mapimí, Mexico - botryoidal, iridescent specimens prized for sculptural form, rich oxidized-zone associations, and collector value.Read guide
Guide
Goethite from Filón Sur open pit, Spain
Filón Sur goethite, Spain — iridescent botryoidal and stalactitic forms from a classic Iberian Pyrite Belt locality; prized for saturated color, metallic luste…Read guideAbout Goethite
Collectors prize goethite for its rich color variations, the variety of crystal habits, and the way it records the geochemical history of its environments. Classic localities yield specimens with striking zoning, clear prismatic terms, and translucent tips in certain crystals, while botryoidal and stalactitic forms provide distinctive textures for display. Its presence in weathering profiles and iron ore deposits makes goethite an enduring staple for mineral cabinets seeking diversity in color, habit, and provenance.
