Pure iron is an element which is silvery-grey, soft and ferromagnetic.
It is chemically reactive and oxidises to rust in moist air. Iron is extracted by smelting oxide ores in a blast furnace to produce pig iron, which may be refined to produce cast iron or wrought iron, or converted to steel. Steel is a general term used for alloys of iron and other elements. It would not be easy to tell the difference between processed iron and steel by using the sense of sight alone.