Rocksday

Uraninite

The main ore of uranium — heavy, black and radioactive.

Uraninite specimen
Photo: Geomartin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify uraninite

  • Pitch-black, heavy masses.
  • Strongly radioactive.
  • Often with bright yellow or green alteration crusts.

Often confused with

Where it's found

  • Jáchymov, Czech Republic
  • Shinkolobwe, DR Congo
  • Athabasca Basin, Canada

Uses

Uranium for nuclear power.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling. Radioactive — store away from living spaces.

Did you know?

Marie and Pierre Curie discovered polonium and radium in pitchblende from Jáchymov.

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