Hematite ps. Magnetite

Hematite – Fe2O3
Elements: Iron, Oxygen
Class: Oxides
Crystal System: Hexagonal
Hardness: 5-6
Orthoclase
Talc (1)Diamond (10)
About as hard as a steel knife blade.
Magnetite – Fe2+Fe3+2O4
Elements: Iron, Oxygen
Class: Oxides
Crystal System: Cubic
Hardness: 5.5-6.5
Orthoclase
Talc (1)Diamond (10)
Scratches glass. Harder than a steel knife.
Origin: Payun volcano, Malargue Departement – Argentina
Did you know?

Hematite is named from the Greek for blood, and it keeps the secret well: a silvery or black specimen, scratched or powdered, leaves a vivid blood-red streak.

Ordinary magnetite is merely drawn to magnets, but a rare form, lodestone, is a natural magnet of its own. The leading idea is that lightning striking iron-rich rock delivers the jolt that magnetizes it.