All About Hematite – Uses, Properties, Color, and Worth

Hematite is a common iron oxide mineral found in rocks and soils everywhere.  Hematite is commonly seen in two different forms called metallic hematite and earthy hematite.  Hematite can come in a variety of raw forms including crystals.   

Metallic hematite is the shiny version of hematite where you would see a shinny reflective metallic surface.  This version of hematite is considered to exhibit a micaceous habit, or meaning that it will break into small flakes easily.

Some metallic hematite will appear to look bumpy or bubbly, as the fibrous crystals pushed their way into open spaces where liquid was present.  Some metallic hematite will appear as clusters of crystals, these specimens are highly sought after by many rock collectors.

The earthy form of hematite will be the variety that express the most amount of reds and brown reds.  The earthy variety is much softer than the metallic variety and can be scratched easily.   Its hardness falls somewhere around a 2 or below on the Mohs scale of hardness.

The earthy hematite variety can occur as small rounded balls called Oolites.   Similar small round balls were also discovered on another planet and given the nickname “blueberries”.   Find out what planet in the “Did you know?” section below.

Uses of Hematite

The uses of hematite will be mostly for its iron content.  Mines all over the world extract hematite to maintain the great demand for iron in all its many uses.  Hematite is also commonly used for pigments to create many different types of reds in many applications.

Pictographs, or cave paintings, were commonly created many years ago with pigments that hematite could provide.  Years later, painters used hematite pigments to help paint some of the beautiful artwork that we can admire today.

Many do like hematite cabochons and beads for various jewelry purposes.  The silvery or shiny metallic look can easily catch the eye, especially if you can get a specimen with a mix of red in it. Hematite bracelets and necklaces are among the more popular hematite jewelry. You can find hematite rings, earrings, and other hematite jewelry though these forms of jewelry are a less common.

Some people believe that hematite, while carried or worn as jewelry, will help with relief from some medical issues.  Some even believe that it can be a protection, keeping your body and spirit grounded, while also balancing your aura.

Hematite Color

The color of hematite is black, gray, silver, brown, reddish brown, and even red.   What makes the color of hematite special in many cases is it can have a shiny, silvery, or metallic steel look about it with the metallic hematite variety…

The earthy variety of hematite may not look as exciting as metallic hematite as it will typically be in the rusty red to reddish browns color range.

Iridescent Hematite is a more rare form of hematite that will express the colors of a rainbow from its surface. Much like what you would see when a soap bubble reflects light, the color of iridescent hematite will show reds, oranges, yellows, blues, greens, and purple colors.

What is Hematite worth?

Hematite worth can be little in its raw form as it is in abundance on our planet.  Expect to pay a price under $1 a carat for raw hematite whereas metallic hematite gemstones can come in at about $1 to $2 per carat. The real value and worth will be in the iron that hematite is used for. 

A specimen of hematite, or some jewelry made with the use of hematite gemstones, can be affordable to obtain.  Many hematite stones will be cut out to 20 to 40 carats which will start to get very costly to a buyer. 

Be wary of all the man made stuff though if you are looking for a real specimen of hematite, one can be easily deceived.  Expect to pay under $100 for a nice cabochon specimen cut out into shapes such as hearts, ovals, teardrops, and squares. 

Some larger specimens of hematite that naturally form as metallic hematite crystals and other forms can get fairly pricey. Expect large hematite crystals and larger specimens to fetch prices upwards into the thousands of USD.

Iridescent hematite, being a more rare form of hematite, will cost more than other hematite in its raw form. Expect to pay upwards of $100 USD or more per ounce depending on quality, reflective surface, and expression of colors.

Again, be wary of knock offs of iridescent hematite, also called rainbow hematite. Know what you are buying.

The Formation of Hematite

Hematite is formed when there are iron bearing minerals such as magnetite, goethite and siderite present in surrounding rock.  Hematite can be formed in all three types of rocks but most commonly forms around sedimentary rocks.

With sedimentary rocks, the iron bearing minerals are carried with liquid and often carried in high concentrations.  These high concentrations of hematite and other iron oxides will leave some very colorful deposits in the surrounding rock in the form of bands, or iron banding. Hematite crystals will form above 1,700 °F when these iron bearing materials are present.

One of the most colorful and beautiful examples of iron banding can be found in the rock called wonderstone.  With its color of reds, brown reds, and even yellows, this rock makes a great specimen for any rock collector. 

Hematite Occurrences

One of the most interesting a beautiful occurrences of hematite is when there are other minerals in the mix.  These mixes can include quartz, fluorite, chalcopyrite, calcite, pyrite, and dolomite to name a few.  These mixed displays of more than just minerals make very good specimens for collectors.

Hematite with quartz can have some very interesting patterns that create some desire to obtain by many. When quartz crystals are formed, sometimes hematite creating iron oxides are available and get mixed into the formation. The reds mixed into the quartz are quite interesting to look at.

Specular hematite is a natural occurrence of hematite that will be very shiny and silvery looking. This type of hematite is a bit fragile and can flake if the surface is agitated. These types of specimens are often collected for their shine and eye appeal.

Manmade versions of hematite, which ironically are not actually hematite, end up for sale to consumers such as magnetic iridescent, or rainbow hematite.   These false versions of hematite are quite abundant and you can almost expect to see them in many homes helping hang up various pieces of paper to the refrigerator.

Is Hematite Magnetic?

Hematite is not magnetic unless it has some accompanying magnetite with it. Many are led to believe that hematite is magnetic but the truth is that hematite, by itself, cannot carry a magnetic charge. Commonly though, hematite in many cases does have magnetite with it.

Hematite, did you know?

Hematite has been an important part of our lives not only today but in the past.  Iron is used for so many applications in our lives that if taken away, it could literally set us back to a Stone Age.  

Did you know that hematite was found to be on Mars?  It was discovered by NASA that the mineral was everywhere on the surface in soils and rocks.  That reddish brown color we so often associate with Mars, is due to hematite.  With the strong push to colonize Mars, and move the human race into the space age, you can bet that hematite will play a strong role for anyone daring to settle and take up residence on the red planet in the future.