Hematite

Iron oxide and the world's most important iron ore. It can be shiny steel-gray or earthy red, but always leaves a reddish streak.

Hematite specimen — Photo: Wikipedia Loves Art participant "Assignment_Houston_One", CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify hematite

Reddish-brown streak — the key test, even on silvery pieces.
Heavy for its size.
Not magnetic (or only weakly).
Sometimes forms bubbly 'kidney ore' masses.

Often confused with

Magnetite
Magnetite leaves a black streak and grabs a magnet.
Compare side by side
Galena
Galena is much softer, heavier and breaks into cubes.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Lake Superior iron ranges
Carajás, Brazil
Cumbria, England
Mars

Uses

Iron and steel production, and red ochre pigment since prehistoric times.

Rock tumbling

Great for tumbling. Polishes to a mirror finish.

Did you know?

NASA's Opportunity rover found tiny hematite spheres ('blueberries') on Mars. Shiny 'magnetic hematite' jewelry is actually synthetic.

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