What does synthetic hematite mean?

Hematite is one of the most mysterious minerals. Only he can take the form of a red glass head or an iron rose. Only it can become like a mirror if it is well polished. He was destined to become the talisman of warlocks. This stone, having a black-gray tint, reminiscent of steel in color, turns into a red-brown powder when rubbed. He is one of several that artists cannot do without. More than 18 years have passed since those ancient times when man brought hematite with him and found its first use. Hematite is a widespread iron mineral and one of the most important iron ores. From the Greek haimatites (like blood), due to the bright red color of the powder. There are several varieties found in nature: – iron mica (obsolete specularite; in ancient times it was used as mirrors) – red glass head (bloodstone; in the form of clusters similar to kidneys) -iron rose (the arrangement of the mineral plates resembles a flower) Despite the wide distribution of the mineral, good collectible specimens are rare. The Iron Rose is a true rarity and a collector’s dream. Sometimes the red-brown color of hematite turns black. Such stones are called “black diamonds.”
Hardness on the Mohs scale is 5,5-6,5. Fragile. Colour: Black to steel in crystals, cherry red in cryptocrystalline and powdery varieties. Sometimes the mineral exhibits iridescence. It is opaque, but translucent in thin plates. The crystals have a metallic luster. The color of the trait is cherry-red, and also from bluish-red to red-brown shades. The works of the ancient Greek philosopher Theophastus are the oldest written source in which hematite is mentioned. He compares the color of this amazing stone to the color of dried blood. M.V. Lomonosov described the stone as follows: “. Bloodstone is a hard, dark-colored, somewhat reddish ore.” In 1817, life and science brought a German mineralogist to Vesuvius. This lucky guy’s name was A. Breithaupt. He was able to see with his own eyes how hematite “grew” in the crack of the volcano. He grew right before our eyes! In 10 days, the formation reached a thickness of one meter.

How to determine the authenticity of hematite.

If hematite is processed, you will notice its considerable similarity with morion or obsidian. But how can you tell them apart? Hematite has a metallic luster and is much heavier than other similarly sized and synthetic specimens. The authenticity of hematite is determined quite simply: run the stone forcefully across unglazed porcelain or earthenware (some plates have a rim on the bottom without glaze). Metal-ceramic imitation, which looks very similar to hematite, does not leave marks. A synthetic analogue of the mineral is called hematin, and has the same color and specific gravity as natural stone.

Hematite deposits.

Hematite has quite a lot of deposits on Earth. More often large accumulations and ore deposits are formed, less often the mineral is found as an impurity in some sedimentary rocks and clays, which is why they acquire pinkish or reddish shades. There are hematite deposits in Russia, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, East Germany, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, USA, Italy, Ukraine and Cuba. The famous Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (KMA) contains both young and very ancient ore deposits that began to form in the Precambrian period (more than 500 million years ago), and some of them go 500-700 meters deep into the earth. The photo shows samples of hematite from Germany. Macro photography. The owner is a private collector Fred Kruijen.

Why does an artist need hematite?

In 1879, wall paintings from the Paleolithic era were first discovered in the Altamira cave in northern Spain, in the province of Santander. Scientists have found that there are several archaeological layers on the stone walls of the cave. The earliest drawings were made more than 18 thousand years ago! The palette of primitive man was meager: only four basic colors – black, white, red and yellow. To obtain white images, chalk and chalk-like limestones were used; black – charcoal and manganese oxides; red and yellow – minerals hematite, pyrolusite and natural dyes – ocher, which is a mixture of iron hydroxides (limonite), manganese (psilomelane) and clay particles. The American Indians were not averse to drawing on their bodies. They also used ocher for these purposes. It is known that ancient Roman warriors rubbed their bodies with hematite powder. Modern artists have a huge variety of colors at their disposal, but hematite, which gives a red-brown color, has not found a replacement. The paint turns out to be very durable. It’s called “iron red lead”. To obtain the pigment, hematite (regardless of the variety) was heated red-hot, and then immediately thrown into water (or doused). This enhanced and refined the color by approximately 10-30%, and also facilitated its grinding. The purity of hematite pigment was determined by its property of producing a metallic sheen when the powder was ground on paper; A drop of water falling on dry powder should turn into a steel-colored ball. Hematite-containing rocks called mummies are also suitable for producing pigment.

Application of hematite.

Hematite began to be used as an ornamental stone back in Ancient Egypt and the states of Mesopotamia. The stone came to Europe in a new status – jewelry. This was at the beginning of the 18th century. Around the same time, the mineral began to be used to polish gold. Stone came to Russia from the Shabrovsky placers in the Urals. Today they have already been fully developed. Buttons, gems, inserts for cufflinks and brooches were cut from hematite. Currently, it is mainly used in jewelry in the form of cabochons, flat inserts or facet-cut stones. Dense hematite formations are suitable for these purposes; after polishing, they delight with their metallic luster and deep color. Despite the fact that the stone is difficult to polish, this has never stopped the craftsmen from achieving their main goal – to give the product a mirror shine. Hematite beads and bracelets look very attractive. And if the beads are made in the form of balls, then from afar the hematite beads can be mistaken for black pearls with incredible shine. Just as before, the mineral continues to be used for polishing precious materials. Hematite polishing powder is called “crocus”.
The decorative qualities of this stone are very unique. A.E. Fersman wrote: “Black stones by their nature have very special features: instead of the colored tones of transparent gems, a metallic sheen appears here.” Hematite very often has a natural feature in the form of cracks that diverge along the boundaries of growth zones. Bloodworm buds no more than 20 cm in diameter with a beam length of 6-7 cm are well suited for jewelry. Rays 1-2 cm long give the best quality. Pure hematite powder has long been used as a paint; it is now used to make red pencils and a mineral pigment for tempera paint. Cast iron is smelted from hematite ores. Hematite in the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages gave hematite the poetic name “stone the color of frozen pigeon blood.” The mineral has a very interesting feature that attracted the attention of the ancients. Individual crystals are similar in color and shine to steel, and for some reason the powder from them is red-brown or scarlet. Its color and shape created a strong association with dried blood. Most likely, it was this property of hematite that gave rise to many beliefs and legends about it, along the way acquiring numerous medicinal properties. Back in the 19th century, hematite bars and sticks were sold in pharmacies, which were bought and carried by people in professions with a risk of injury. In the old days, when a worker fell from the scaffolding, they scraped up this hematite powder and gave him some water to drink. If it was possible to get the victim drunk, then, they say, the matter did not reach the point of serious injury; the worker would return to work after a while. German miners wore hematite buttons, which were polished before each descent into adits or mines. With an increased content of carbon dioxide, the buttons began to turn red – this served as a signal to go to the surface. Hematite healing and magical properties. In Ancient Egypt, priestesses of the goddess Isis (she symbolized femininity and motherhood) wore hematite jewelry when performing rituals. It was believed that hematite protects against dark forces and protects the goddess who descends to Earth during the ritual. Pliny the Elder wrote that hematite bestows the favor of rulers and a happy outcome in court cases. (We note with irony that the courts are losing potential income by still not opening hematite shops for plaintiffs and defendants). Hematite was also given special importance in Ancient Rome, whose warriors, going on campaigns of conquest, did not forget to take with them a piece of this mineral (usually it was a figurine of a household deity). This was to ensure a safe return home. And rubbing his body with finely crushed hematite gave the warrior courage and bravery. In Europe, bloodstone was inaccessible to ordinary people; it was the prerogative of warlocks, for whom it was a magical symbol. Only armed with a ring with hematite could one begin to come into contact with the souls of the dead. Mysterious signs were drawn with this stone, with its help one could protect oneself from evil forces and put conspiracies into action. In Russia, in some provinces, there was a belief for quite a long time that hematite is capable of giving a child special stability, thanks to which the baby will rarely fall and be injured to the point of bleeding. To do this, a treasured pebble was hung above the baby’s cradle. A lot of healing and magical properties are attributed to the stone of magicians and spellcasters, many of which have no scientific evidence. Naturally, they cannot be taken seriously. These include the ability of hematite to protect against astral attacks, bewitch, calm anger, cure blood cancer, nervous diseases, impotence, stop any bleeding, and others. Lithotherapists use the stone to stimulate sexual energy, normalize blood circulation, and increase resistance to stress. There are no miracles here. Iron as a microelement plays a major role in hematopoiesis and hemoglobin production. Its deficiency leads to loss of strength, dizziness, decreased libido, and irregular heartbeat. Hematite restores this to some extent. But don’t forget about regular vitamins and classical medicine. Based on the above, it is no longer surprising that Roman soldiers rubbed themselves with hematite powder. We can say that after this procedure “the blood went to their heads.” Hence the surge of strength for battle, courage and unrestraint. Of course, a significant role in this courage was played by the rubbing ritual itself, a kind of self-suggestion that he would become invulnerable to the enemy. Bloodstone gives its owner courage and confidence, stops him from making mistakes in life, and helps him cope with difficulties in acquiring a profession and starting any business. Hematite is most suitable for Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn, Libra, Aquarius, Leo, Aries. All other signs can receive support from him on the 11th and 17th lunar days of each month. *The article belongs to the site http://www.feliki.ru/. Full or partial copying is possible with the permission of the site and the mandatory placement of an active link to the page. We try to make it convenient and interesting for you on the pages of our website. If you liked this article, we would be grateful if you recommend it to your friends or leave us a review! Hematite (also known as “bloodstone”) is a black (silver) or, less commonly, dark red mineral that is iron oxide. This gem is also called black pearl or black sand because of its color and iridescent structure. In the distant past, thin plates of hematite were used as mirrors and were called specularite. The name comes from the Greek word haima, meaning “blood”.

Characteristics of silver mineral

• The color of hematite changes depending on the state of the mineral: earthy varieties turn into red minerals, and silvery ones in crystals. 2. hardness: 5 – 6 on the Mohs scale.
• density: 5 g/cm3.

Is there life on Mars?

As we said above, hematite can be gray, reddish, or with a blue tint. The last type of hematite is valued the most. Blue stone is mined in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan. Other varieties are mined on the west coast of England, Italy, Brazil, Switzerland, the USA, as well as in the Czech Republic and Ukraine.

Scientists made an amazing discovery several years ago – an American probe discovered hematite on Mars! And only now can we explain that hematite was in ancient times a talisman of war, whose patron was the ancient god Mars. Probably, our predecessors knew even more than we do, not only about stones, but also about other planets.

The magical properties of hematite

Hematite is a stone of strong, persistent and confident people. It only matches with silver. It is in silver jewelry that hematite fully displays all its magical properties.

It is believed that this gem can stop bleeding, soothe pain when wounded, and heal tumors. It is also believed that hematite in jewelry can treat nervous diseases and diseases of the genitourinary system. In addition, there are no “contraindications” – hematite in silver can be worn by people of any age, gender, born under different zodiac signs.

Hematite in silver products is a powerful magical amulet. An ancient treatise on natural stones, which was written by Azhalius of Babylon for the Pontic king Mithridates, spoke about the power of hematite and its influence on humans. The stone was previously used by people in rituals (Egypt) to protect themselves from dark and evil forces. Hematite in silver also helped to “speak” to spirits.

Today, people not only admire the beauty of hematite in gold and silver jewelry, but also turn to the stone. The stone will help you discover the world, get to know it from different sides, it will introduce you to the secrets of the universe, and open new facets of humanity.

If we talk about astrology, then people who were born under the sign of Cancer and Scorpio are advised to wear hematite in silver jewelry. Pisces, Virgos and Geminis should handle bloodstone very carefully. It will not cause harm, but it will not exhibit any magical properties.

Hematite, a stone of courage and courage, should be worn not only by male warriors, but also by women who want to lift their spirit, make it stronger and more resilient.

Hematite in silver jewelry will also become a talisman for those who have a desire to learn, master a new profession, or create their own business.

Astrologers believe that men should wear hematite in jewelry as a pendant, as well as on the index finger of the right hand. Women are advised to wear rings with hematite on their left hand on the index finger.

Well, and most importantly, hematite, also known as iron kidney, iron lead, red glass head, is a symbol of the power of war, a symbol of victory, a strong spirit. This is a strong military talisman. Even in ancient times, a small hematite stone was sewn into the clothes of warriors to give them courage, strength, and spirit on the battlefield.

Read also the article “What is suitable for zodiac signs”

Real or fake?

Despite the fact that there are a lot of hematite deposits in the world and scientists do not even hint at a shortage, the stone, of course, is counterfeited. Very often, metal ceramics or hematin (a synthetic analogue) are sold under the guise of natural hematite in silver jewelry. Experts say that it is very difficult to distinguish hematite from hematin. It must be remembered that natural hematite is quite heavy (high iron content)…. You can check this by running the hematite over a white ceramic surface. On the surface you will see a stripe with a slightly red tint. But this warrant is not reliable, since not every hematite has a shade. In any case, you can only rely on trusted jewelry stores.

The cost of hematite in jewelry is equal to the average price of an ornamental stone (onyx, quartz).

Under no circumstances should you wear silver jewelry with hematite on your naked body in direct bright sunlight (for example, on the beach), as the stone heats up quickly and can burn your skin.