Ironstone

Sedimentary rock rich in iron minerals such as siderite, goethite or hematite.

Ironstone specimen — Photo: James St. John, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify ironstone

Heavy, rusty brown to red.
Often forms nodules or layers in shale.
Rusty-brown streak.

Often confused with

Sandstone
Red sandstone is lighter and gritty.
Compare side by side
Limonite
Limonite is the earthy iron oxide itself.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Cleveland Hills, England
Birmingham, Alabama
Lorraine, France

Uses

Historic iron ore.

Rock tumbling

Can be tumbled with care.

Did you know?

Ironstone ore built the steel industry of Birmingham, Alabama.

Think you could spot it from a blurry close-up?

Play today's Rocksday