What Color Is Iron?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 06, 2023

The most commonly recognized color of iron is a black to silvery gray color. This deep gray to black color of iron is the magnetite compound of iron. However, iron has a variety of different colors depending upon the state of the iron.

Another color that many recognize as iron is a lustrous gold color. This is iron pyrite, which is also known as fool’s gold due to the color of the compound and the distinctive sheen that it has. Iron that is in the +2 state of oxidization is pale green in color. Iron that is in the +3 state of oxidation has a violet hue.