Physical Properties of Bauxite. Bauxite is typically a soft material with a hardness of only 1 to 3 on the Mohs scale.It is white to gray to reddish brown with a pisolitic structure, earthy luster and a low specific gravity of between 2.0 and 2.5. These properties are useful for identifying bauxite; however, they have nothing to do with bauxite's value or usefulness.