Goethite
A yellowish to reddish brown mineral used as a pigment since ancient times
No single value: Goethite is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, brown.
Goethite is an iron oxyhydroxide mineral that ranges in colour from yellowish brown to nearly black. Known since ancient times, it is a main source of brown ochre pigment and is found in soils, sediments, and as iron ore. The mineral was named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and has been used in art, jewellery, and textiles.
- Main source of brown ochre pigment since ancient times
- Named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Found in soils, bogs, caves, and as iron ore
- Used in prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux, France
- Forms needle-like crystals or massive earthy shapes
What colour is Goethite?
Goethite is a mineral that appears in shades from yellowish brown to reddish brown and can be almost black. It often forms needle-like crystals or massive, earthy shapes. Its streak, the colour it leaves when rubbed on a surface, is brown to yellow-orange. Goethite stands out for its role as a main component of rust and as a source of brown ochre pigment.
Where does Goethite come from?
The mineral was first described in 1806 from samples found in Herdorf, Germany. It was named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German poet and polymath. Goethite has been used as a pigment since ancient times, with evidence of its use in prehistoric cave paintings in Lascaux, France. Its colour comes from its iron content and the way it forms in soils and sediments.
How is Goethite made?
Goethite forms naturally as iron(III) oxide-hydroxide, often through the weathering of iron-rich minerals. It can also appear as a pseudomorph, where it replaces other iron minerals but keeps their original shape. The mineral is found in soils, bogs, caves, and as deposits in lakes and creeks. It is mined as brown iron ore and collected for its banded or iridescent forms.
![This image depicts the structure of the mineral goethite, as viewed in the [001] direction. Red spheres are ferric iron, white spheres are oxygen, and yellow spheres are hydroxide.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Goethite_c.png)
Where Goethite is used
Goethite's main uses are as an iron ore and as a pigment for brown ochre. It has coloured paints since ancient times and was even used to dye textiles, such as the burial shroud found in a Phrygian royal tomb. Polished pieces are sometimes used in jewellery. Its presence in soils and rocks also makes it important in geology and archaeology.
Brown around the world
What the brown family means from country to country.
Brown is the colour of Nazism in German political speech, after the brown shirts of the party's stormtroopers. To call a view "brown" is to call it far right.
Politics and protestDanger and warningShameSource: SturmabteilungMasi is bark cloth beaten from paper mulberry and printed in brown and black. It is worn at weddings and funerals and given in ceremonial exchanges.
Sacred and holyWeddings and marriageSource: Tapa clothKuntunkuni is a dark brown mourning cloth of the Asante, dyed with tree bark. Adinkra cloth, stamped with symbols, was first made on such dark grounds for funerals.
Mourning and deathSadnessSource: Adinkra symbolsThe batik of the Javanese courts at Yogyakarta and Surakarta is dyed in soga brown with indigo and cream. Some court patterns were once reserved for the royal family.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: BatikBogolanfini, or mud cloth, is cotton painted with fermented river mud in browns, black and white. Hunters wear it for protection, and women after childbirth.
Protection and healingSacred and holySource: B貌g貌lanfiniShades and relatives of Goethite
Goethite is related to other iron oxyhydroxide minerals like lepidocrocite and feroxyhyte, which have the same chemical formula but different structures. Its colour can vary from yellowish to dark brown or nearly black. It is sometimes confused with similar earthy iron minerals, but its streak and crystal form help distinguish it.
Questions people ask about Goethite
What colour is goethite?
Goethite ranges from yellowish brown to reddish brown and can appear nearly black. Its streak, or the colour it leaves when rubbed on a surface, is brown to yellow-orange.
Where does the name goethite come from?
Goethite is named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German poet and polymath. The mineral was first described in 1806 from samples found in Germany.
What is goethite used for?
Goethite is mainly used as an iron ore and as a pigment for brown ochre. It has been used in art, to dye textiles, and in jewellery when cut and polished.
How is goethite formed?
Goethite forms naturally as iron(III) oxide-hydroxide, often through the weathering of iron-rich minerals. It can also form as a pseudomorph, replacing other iron minerals while keeping their shape.
Where has goethite been found?
Significant deposits are found in Germany, France, Cuba, and the United States. It is common in soils, bogs, caves, and as deposits in lakes and creeks.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Goethite", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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