Molybdenum is a rather inert and shiny metal, with a very pale yellowish hue. Here, a sample of 4 grams of the metal is shown. The sample has a purity of over 99.95%.

The metal can also look more dull. Below, a disk of the metal is shown, with a diameter of several cm, and a weight of 32 grams. Depending on how light falls on the metal, it can look lighter than its background, or darker than its background.