The facts
What goethite actually is
The species behind goethite is goethite, α-FeO(OH); it forms in the orthorhombic system.
Fe³⁺ hydroxide; yellowish-brown streak, iridescent surfaces where thin films develop is responsible for the colour — and the chromophore, not the name, is what decides whether a colour is stable.
On the instruments it reads a specific gravity of about 3.3–4.3, with perfect {010} cleavage.
Where goethite comes from
Commercial material comes from Pikes Peak, Colorado, USA, Restormel Mine, Cornwall, England, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil and Tharsis, Huelva, Spain.
Different localities give different colour and different clarity, and the trade prices them differently. We state which one.
How goethite is treated
Untreated. Matters to gemmology chiefly as a red inclusion in quartz (strawberry quartz, fire quartz) and as the pigment in yellow ochre; iridescent 'rainbow' goethite and hematite specimens are sometimes artificially coated.
We state the treatment on every stone, including when the honest answer is that it cannot be determined. A treatment disclosed is a fact; a treatment discovered later is a refund.
What goethite is confused with
Watch for Hematite, Limonite and Manganese oxides — these are what turn up sold under this name.
Because the material is opaque, refractive index is no help. Specific gravity around 3.3–4.3, hardness of 5–5.5, streak and magnification do the work instead.
What goethite is used for
The trades that buy goethite are mineral collecting, pigments and heavy industry. They do not want the same thing, and they do not pay in the same unit.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen or by the tonne.
Durability and care
Hardness 5–5.5; cleavage perfect {010}. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What goethite costs
Expect roughly Iridescent or stalactitic specimens $20–$600, depending on quality.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is goethite treated, and how?
Untreated. Matters to gemmology chiefly as a red inclusion in quartz (strawberry quartz, fire quartz) and as the pigment in yellow ochre; iridescent 'rainbow' goethite and hematite specimens are sometimes artificially coated.
Where does goethite come from?
Pikes Peak, Colorado, USA, Restormel Mine, Cornwall, England, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil and Tharsis, Huelva, Spain. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is goethite hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 5–5.5 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does goethite cost?
Indicatively Iridescent or stalactitic specimens $20–$600. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is goethite confused with?
Most often Hematite, Limonite and Manganese oxides. Since the material is opaque, separation relies on specific gravity near 3.3–4.3, hardness and magnification.
What is goethite used for besides jewellery?
mineral collecting, pigments and heavy industry. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for goethite?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about goethite