Identification guide · Sedimentary Rocks
How to Identify Mookaite
Mookaite is usually yellow, red, and cream with a waxy luster and is opaque. It has a Mohs hardness of 6.5. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. Its streak is white. It is most often confused with Jasper, Dalmatian Jasper, and Chert; the tests below separate them.
Mookaite identification checklist
| Color | Yellow, Red, Cream, Purple, Brown | Look at a clean, dry surface in daylight. Color zoning, banding or spots are as diagnostic as the hue. |
|---|---|---|
| Luster | Waxy | Compare a fresh surface with glass and metal; this luster is softer than either. |
| Transparency | Opaque | Hold a thin edge up to a bright light and note whether light passes through. |
| Mohs hardness | 6.5 | It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. |
| Streak | White | Drag a corner across unglazed porcelain (the back of a bathroom tile) and check the powder color. |
| Cleavage | None | |
| Fracture | Conchoidal to uneven | Broken surfaces show smooth, curved, shell-like scoops. |
| Specific gravity | 2.6 | Ordinary rock-like heft (specific gravity about 2.6), similar to quartz. |
| Crystal system | Amorphous |
Mookaite look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Both sit near Mohs 6.5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Mookaite vs Jasper →
Both sit near Mohs 6.5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Mookaite vs Dalmatian Jasper →
Both sit near Mohs 6.5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Mookaite vs Chert →
Both sit near Mohs 6.5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead.
Field tips
- Look for opaque patches of mustard yellow, red, cream, brown, or purple.
- Mookaite is usually massive and jasper-like rather than transparent or crystalline.
- Western Australian provenance supports the identification, but color pattern alone can overlap with other jaspers.
Mookaite identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is Mookaite?
Check the color (yellow, red, cream, and purple), the waxy luster, a Mohs hardness of 6.5 and a white streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of Mookaite?
Mookaite has a Mohs hardness of 6.5. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file.
What is the difference between Mookaite and Jasper?
Mookaite (Mohs 6.5, waxy luster) and Jasper (Mohs 7, vitreous luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full Mookaite vs Jasper comparison for a side-by-side table.
Is Mookaite worth anything?
Entry-level Mookaite specimens sell for around $5, typical collector pieces about $25, and premium examples $160 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is Mookaite?
Mookaite is most often yellow, red, cream, and purple. Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
