PROMOTIONAL PRICE FOR TUMBLED STONES: 1 kilo of Hematite from Morocco

Hematite (from Greek: αιμία, haima, blood) is a mineral that mainly consists of ferric oxide crystals (iron(III) oxide, Fe2O3), one of the iron oxides. It occurs alongside other varieties such as red bloodstone and gray-black to black iron luster and iron glitter. The mineral has a hardness between 5 and 6. The so-called streak, or streak color, the color the mineral leaves when rubbed on an unglazed porcelain dish, is usually a characteristic blood red – the mineral derives its name from this. The mineral can contain traces of magnesium, manganese, and titanium. Hematite occurs both as a gangue mineral and in sedimentary layers. It is often the cause of the red coloration of many rocks. Together with hematite, other iron ores often occur, such as magnetite, limonite, and iron spar. When magnetite is converted to hematite, it is called martite. The mineral is found worldwide, in Europe in Germany, among other places in the Lahn area where the world's largest concentration of iron ores is located, in the Eifel, the Harz, and in the Thuringian Forest. Furthermore, in England in Cumberland and North-Lancashire, in Belgium in Vezin and Namur, on the Italian island of Elba, and in Spain. In Africa, Algeria is a notable producer, and in the United States of America, it is found at Upper Lake and in Missouri. More than half of the world's production now comes from China, Brazil, and Australia. Additionally, the mineral is found in high concentration on the surface of the planet Mars. This gives the 'Red Planet' its typical orange-red color. Hematite consists of 70% iron in its pure state and is therefore the most important iron ore. By reacting it with carbon at high temperatures, iron is extracted. Additionally, hematite is used as a polishing agent and, due to its high reflectivity, was long used as a mirror. The red color and the fact that hematite is non-toxic make the mineral very suitable as a pigment. Already in the Stone Age, it was used for cave paintings and body painting. Artists use pressed hematite sticks for drawings and sketches. Such pencils are soft and color well. Red bole, a strongly clay-bearing type of hematite, is widely used as a base layer in gilding. As a pigment, hematite is suitable for painting ceramics and dyeing threads for carpets.