How to distinguish hematite from hematin?

Hematite, whose properties have always surprised people, has a dark gray color with a characteristic metallic luster. However, if you grind it, you get a red-brown powder. When you put this powder in water, it will take on a pink tint. Hematite is an iron ore mineral. It has been known as an ornamental stone for a long time. It was used in the manufacture of signet rings and gems. Such products attracted attention with their deep dark color and characteristic metallic shine. The name of the stone comes from the Greek “haimatos”, which means “blood”, “bloody”. Also, hematite stone is often called bloodstone or sanguine (translation from Spanish: sangre – blood).

Properties of hematite

Hematite, whose properties have always surprised people, has a dark gray color with a characteristic metallic luster. However, if you grind it, you get a red-brown powder. When you put this powder in water, it will take on a pink tint. Physico-chemical properties of hematite The mineral represents a class of oxides. The crystals have a pyramidal, cuboidal, rhombohedral, lamellar or columnar shape. Also known are cluster-shaped, massive and veined aggregates. The mineral hematite is an iron ore that has long been used as a coloring pigment. Being a compound of iron, the stone is attracted by a magnet. Looking at hematite, the photo clearly demonstrates all possible shades. It can be black, dark gray with a red tint; samples of ocher red and rich blood color are often found. Color depends primarily on the density of the mineral. Thus, harder crystals will have a pronounced black color with a metallic tint, and a mineral with a lower density will have an ocher-red color. The name of the stone is associated with blood, and this is not without reason, because it really has the color of dried blood, due to the presence of iron oxides. And sometimes the red-brown tint becomes almost black. Such specimens are called black diamonds. Brown and red hematite is also called red iron ore. The stones are characterized by a glassy, ​​metallic luster. Thin plates of the mineral are translucent. Very often in hematite deposits there are bizarre formations, which in the old days were called “red glass head”. Flat pieces of stone were even used as mirrors, called specularite, which means “contemplation” in Greek. Compared to quartz, the hardness of hematite is two times lower, so it is easily polished, but loses polish just as easily. Therefore, when storing and wearing hematite products, you must be careful to avoid falling and excessive friction.

Mineral hematite red and black

• Iron mica, which is scaly aggregates;
• Red iron ore – small crystalline samples with a dense structure of red color;
• Martite – loose formations with medium density;
• Iron luster – coarse-crystalline sprouts;
• Iron rose – crystal intergrowths, reminiscent in their shape of the corolla of a rose hip flower;
• Red glass head – kidney-shaped clusters.

Deposit and origin of hematite stone

The mineral is quite common on Earth. Most often it forms ore deposits and accumulations. It is much less common to find stone in the form of impurities in sedimentary rocks or clays, which, due to the presence of hematite in them, acquire a pink or red tint. The mineral is common in volcanic rocks, but is more common in hydrothermal veins. As a weathering product it can be formed by a secondary impurity in iron-containing minerals, such as siderite, magnetite, limonite.

The formation of stone mainly occurs through the oxidation and weathering of rock containing iron or through metamorphic changes in hydrothermal conditions. In 1917, mineralogist A. Breuhaupt was able to observe the formation of a mineral in one of the cracks of the Vesuvius volcano, where a 10 m thick layer of hematite was deposited within 1 days.

Mineral deposits are most often located in areas of magnetic anomalies. The largest deposits are in Russia (Ural, Kursk magnetic anomaly), Ukraine (Krivoy Rog). There are also deposits in Brazil, Turkestan, USA, Switzerland, Northern Italy.

Applications of hematite

Hematite is a stone whose properties and appearance determined the popularity of the mineral; it is used not only for decorative purposes. First of all, the stone is the most important iron ore. And hematite powder serves as the basis for the production of mineral paint – red ocher.

As a rule, black hematite with a pronounced shine is used in jewelry. Crystals are cut in the form of cabochons, which are often engraved. Often the stone is cut into a diamond cut or rose cut. Hematite balls perfectly imitate black pearls.

They are used to make bracelets, beads, crosses, and are used as inserts in earrings and rings. And such a variety as glass head is used in jewelry for polishing gold items.

The properties of hematite stone were known back in the ancient world. In the Ancient Roman Empire, the mineral was worth its weight in native silver. And jewelry with blood-red hematite inserts came into fashion during the Renaissance. The collection of gems of the State Hermitage has a cylinder seal of the Sumerian kingdom and several Iranian carved miniatures on hematite.

How to buy hematite and not a fake?

Despite the low cost of the mineral, it is very easy to buy hematite in the form of a ceramic fake. In order to determine authenticity, you can use two simple methods that allow you to quickly determine what is in your hands. The first method is based on weight. Since the mineral is essentially iron ore, its weight should be noticeable. Therefore, holding it in your hands, you can figure out whether the material is natural or imitation. A ceramic fake is several times lighter than a natural nugget.

Another way to spot a fake is to try running a crystal across a porcelain plate. A natural mineral should leave a red-brown stripe, but ceramics will leave nothing behind.

If you look at a photo of a hematite stone, you will notice its resemblance to obsidian and morion. The similarities increase with the processing of hematite. But the latter is characterized by a metallic sheen and greater weight, which distinguishes it from other materials and synthetic imitations.

The most common analogue is hematin, which has the same color and specific gravity. Therefore, the only sure way to distinguish a natural material is a stripe drawn with a hematin sample on an unglazed porcelain or earthenware product. To do this, you can use the small unglazed rim found on the back of many plates.

Watch the hematite stone in the video:

Today I would like to talk about how to distinguish natural semi-precious stones from fakes. How not to fall for the bait of unscrupulous sellers and not lose your creative spirit, becoming disappointed in the properties of stones.

Turquoise

Since ancient times, turquoise has been widely used in jewelry, inlay, and as an ornamental stone. However, many of its deposits are being depleted. Therefore, do not be embarrassed by its relative cheapness; soon it too may become a rare and expensive stone. The most beautiful and most expensive is sky blue turquoise, mined in Iran (Nishapur mines).

Turquoise is in great demand, and reserves of natural high-quality turquoise are gradually depleted, so it is often counterfeited. Artificial turquoise is made from copper aluminophosphates, ceramics, plastics with the addition of dyes.
“Vienna” turquoise is a compressed and heat-treated mixture of malachite, aluminum hydroxide and phosphoric acid. Neolithic – artificial turquoise made from copper phosphate and aluminum hydroxide. Such turquoise is characterized by an unnaturally bright and uniform greenish-yellow color, and when heated it turns black and does not crack like natural turquoise. This turquoise does not rub off and does not lose its color.
There is an imitation made from a mixture of fired gypsum and alabaster. The most popular counterfeit is the coloring of natural gray-white howlite (caulite) material in turquoise colors. But when worn, the top painted layer wears off.
Turquoise can be imitated by blue-painted chalcedony and low-grade lapis lazuli; chrysocolla and variecite also imitate turquoise.
When buying turquoise, keep in mind that this natural stone is not found in large pieces; if the specimen is very large, then this is a fake.

Hematite

Hematite is an iron ore mineral. Hematite has been known as an ornamental stone since ancient times. The name “hematite” comes from the Greek word for “blood”: this is the color of the mineral in powder, which is used as a dye (red ocher). Now there are many imitations of hematite, which are often not so easy to distinguish from the real mineral.

Natural hematite from very similar cheap ceramics (imitations) – weigh the mineral in your hand: ceramics are quite light, and hematite is a much heavier iron-containing material. The weight of even a small piece of hematite can be felt in the palm of your hand like a weight.
2. If you run a piece of hematite over an uneven chip of ceramics/faience (this could be a broken saucer or cup), it will leave a red (from pinkish to dark burgundy, even brown) line, but metal ceramics will not leave such a mark.
3. It must be remembered that now in stores there is a synthetic analogue of hematite – hematin (an alloy of steel with chromium sulfides), it has the same weight and is visually practically indistinguishable from hematite, but, unlike it, is attracted by weaker magnets. Natural hematite is attracted only by a very strong magnet. This method is quite complicated.

Moonstone

Moonstone, despite its mysterious, even mystical name, is nothing more than a translucent variety of feldspar or potassium spar. A special feature of this unusual silvery mineral is the presence of bluish tints in the structure of the stone, which give the effect of an internal glow. For this characteristic glow, the stone was nicknamed Lunar.

Mostly, jewelry stores sell imitation moonstones, which are frosted translucent glass, unevenly colored to achieve the desired effect, or plastic, which is offered under the guise of a natural mineral even in India. You can identify a fake by turning the stone in different directions and carefully observing the sparkles inside. Natural moonstone “plays” and flickers with specific reflections in the structure.
This occurs due to the fine-layered formation of the mineral – light is reflected at different angles from the multilayer structure of the stone and forms specific reflections.
Synthetic fakes never give such an effect – no matter how you rotate them or look closely, they will shine completely evenly.

Nephritis

No matter in which region of the world jade was mined, products made from it were extremely valuable. They were used everywhere in religious ceremonies, and in China they were admired for its acoustic properties – they even made musical instruments from it. Today, jade is not so popular, but is still well known to everyone associated with precious stones. Jade deposits are located in China, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Russia (Southern Urals and Eastern Siberia).

Instead of jade, amazonite, vesuvianite, serpentine, green marble, and bowenite are often offered. Strongly reminiscent of jade is another green mineral – jadeite. How to distinguish jade from a fake?
If you run something sharp over the stone (knife, needle, pin), a scratch will remain on the fake, but not on jade.
If you lightly tap a jade plate or one against another, you can hear a pleasant sound, characteristic only of jade.
Jade is so strong that when hit with a hammer or something heavier, it is not damaged, unlike a fake.

In subsequent publications, it is planned to consider other stones and minerals, so that you, dear masters, will be happy to approach your creativity and will not be disappointed after purchases. Good luck!