Mineralpedia Details for Hematite

Named for the Greek word aimatodes, meaning “bloodlike,” in reference to the mineral’s color and streak. Hematite is extremely common with thousands of localities with exceptional crystals from Switzerland, Romania, Italy, England, Norway, Brazil, South Africa, Algeria, and the United States. Hematite occurs as an accessory mineral in igneous rocks, as a sublimate in volcanic rocks, in high-temperature hydrothermal veins, a contact metamorphism product, in metamorphosed banded iron formations, as a cement in sedimentary and a constituent in oolitic iron formations, and it is abundant on weathered iron-bearing minerals.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/hematite.pdf

Formula

Fe₂O₃ 

Crystal System

Trigonal 

Crystal Habit

Tabular, Blocky, Earthy 

Cleavage

None, None, None 

Luster

Metallic 

Color

reddish gray, black, blackish red 

Streak

reddish brown 

Class

Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral 

Fracture

Conchoidal 

Hardness

6.5 

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Restormel is a classic locality for both Goethite and Hematite, such as this specimen. This specimen is a beautful deep red ball from the botryoidal habit. 

Botryoidal rusty red Hematite from historic and important iron mining region in the USA.

Mirror-like faces of specular Hematite. Total crystal size is 5.5 x 4 x 2cm

Sharp, reflective near black thick tabular crystals of Hematite with the largest crystal to 3.5cm.

Brilliant, shiny Hematite crystal with complex faces.

Mass of specular Hematite. 

The Cornwall Iron Mine was discovered in 1739 and boasted the largest iron deposit east of the Mesabi and Lake Superior deposits. The mines were important to the revolutionary war efforts. Although preserved up to the 1970's, the historic ruins were eventually demolished. More history can be found on the Abandoned America website.

Silvery Hematite in coarsely crystalline mass commonly known as "specular" Hematite.

Specular Hematite, a common ore for this important iron mining region.

Drill core from this historic iron mine discovered in the 1880's which eventually reached a depth of 2,300 feet in underground workings and operated by US Steel. The mine is located in the Vermillion range and the ore was extracted from the 2.7 BYA Archean Soudan Iron Formation of the Ely Greenstone Belt. It is no longer in operation. It is now nicely preserved as a Minnesota State Park and is also home to an undergrond laboratory for the collection of neutrinos. 

Silvery, heavy mass of pure Hematite with thin, foliated plates, sometimes referred to as "micaceous".

Very nice rounded balls and rosettes of Hematite to 6mm.

Botryoidal reddish brown Hematite.