Hematite

== Description ==
A metallic black-gray or dark red mineral primarily composed of iron oxide. Hematite is commonly found throughout the world. The primary source for hematite is a sedimentary deposit in the Lake Superior district in North America. Other deposits include Brazil (Minas Gerais), Venezuela (Cerro Bolívar) and Canada (Labrador, Quebec). Hematite physically occurs in many forms: specular ore (steel gray color, shiny crystals); micaceous hematite (gray, scaly flakes), red ocher (soft, fine-grain, red powder); kidney ore (massive, gray botryoidal form), and pencil ore (gray, fibrous crystals). Because hematite has a high iron content (70%), it is primarily used for smelting iron. Hematite has been used since ancient times as a red pigment in paints and glazes. It was also used for seals, beads, and small carvings since the early 3rd millineum. Hematite is still used as a paint pigment. It is also used in jewelers' rouge for polishing glass. Hematite can be used to produce the sparkle in aventurine ceramic glazes.
== Synonyms and Related Terms ==
iron (III) oxide; haematite (Br.); Hämatit (Deut.); Blutstein (Deut.); Eisenglanz (Deut.); Specularit (Deut.); Iserin (Deut.); Roteisenstein (Deut.); Roteisenerz (Deut.); hematites (Esp.); hématite (Fr.); hematiet (Ned.); hemtyt (Pol); hematite (Port.); iron sesquioxide; red iron ore; bloodstone; iron oxide red; red iron oxide; ferric oxide, red ocher; black diamond; iron rose; kidney ore; martite; paint ore; specularite
[[[SliderGallery rightalign|Hematite crystals, large (Forbes MFA 70) 50X resize.tif~Raman (MFA)|PIG72.jpg~XRD (MFA)|fkhaemsem.jpg~SEM (MFA)|fkhaemedsbw.jpg~EDS (MFA)|hematite.jpg~Chemical structure]]]
== Risks ==
* Noncombustible. No significant hazards. 
* Fisher Scientific: MSDS
== Physical and Chemical Properties ==
* Trigonal crystal system with thick granular or tabular crystals 
* Cleavage = none 
* Fracture = uneven to splintery 
* Luster = metallic 
* Streak = dark red to cherry red
* Fluorescence = inert
Composition 	Fe2O3
CAS 	1309-37-1; 1317-60-8
Mohs Hardness 	5.5 - 6.5
Melting Point 	2849 C
Density 	4.2-5.3 g/ml
Molecular Weight	mol. wt. = 159.6922
Refractive Index	2.78; 3.01
Birefringence 	0.280 (usually not detectable)
== Comparisons ==
== Additional Images ==
File:Hematiteemr1.jpg|Hematite
File:Hematiteemr2.jpg|Hematite
File:6869 hematite_2up.jpg|Hematite
File:hematite C100x.jpg|hematite
File:24_Hematite_200X.jpg|Hematite
File:24_Hematite_200X_R.jpg|Hematite
File:24_Hematite_200X_pol.jpg|Hematite
==Resources and Citations==
* Mineralogy Database: Hematite
* Gem Identification Lab Manual, Gemological Institute of America, 2016.
* Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: hematite" [Accessed December 11, 2001].
* R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966
* Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
* C.W.Chesterman, K.E.Lowe, Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979
* Wikipedia: Hematite (Accessed Sept. 7, 2005 and Jn 2023)
* Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979
* Jack Odgen, Jewellery of the Ancient World, Rizzoli International Publications Inc., New York City, 1982
* George Savage, Art and Antique Restorer's Handbook, Rockliff Publishing Corp, London, 1954
* Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
* Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
* A.Lucas, J.R.Harris, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries, Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd., London, 4th edition, 1962
* The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
* Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
* CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: density=4.9-5.3
Category:Materials database