It is easy to confuse the mineral hematite with the man-made material that goes by the name "magnetic hematite." In certain forms, both share a very similar silvery appearance. In addition, both are often confused with the mineral magnetite. Hematite and magnetite are both iron oxide minerals, but magnetic hematite, though containing iron, is a manufactured ceramic material that is marketed and sold for its silvery appearance and magnetic properties.
Magnetic Hematite
Magnetic Hematite
- Magnetic hematite is not a true hematite in terms of its mineral content. Actually a man-made magnetic material, the content of magnetic hematite varies between manufacturers. The Mineralogy Database found that one sample was a "synthetic ceramic barium-strontium ferrite magnet." Companies that produce magnetic hematite keep their formulas a trade secret, but they all share a silvery appearance and have magnetic properties.
Misconceptions- Strictly speaking, hematite is the name for a specific mineral. Natural hematite is a mineral form of iron oxide. Many of the stones sold as hematite are not hematite at all, but synthetic stones made from ferrite and other materials.
- In science, materials are said to be magnetic when they have any kind of magnetic property, however weak. In common parlance, something usually called magnetic only if it has a strong, perceptible magnetic effect. This creates some confusion. Hematite might technically be considered magnetic by scientists, but much of it is not magnetic according to the common usage of the term, according to the online resource School for Champions.
- Some common types of stone sold as hematite include natural hematite, hemalyke and hematin. Natural hematite is sometimes weakly magnetic, but won't attract metals or other pieces of hematite. Hemalyke, hematin and similar synthetic stones do not usually contain any real hematite, but can be polished to resemble natural hematite and have a strong magnetic field.
- Strictly speaking, hematite is the name for a specific mineral. Natural hematite is a mineral form of iron oxide. Many of the stones sold as hematite are not hematite at all, but synthetic stones made from ferrite and other materials.