POLISHED HEMATITE

Hematite is the mineral form of iron oxide and the primary ore of iron. This mineral appears in a variety of colors, ranging from black to steel gray, brown, and red. Crystals come in a wide selection of forms, though most often as plates or thin, micaceous plates within rock. Other common crystal forms include reniform, oolitic, tabular, and botryoidal masses known as kidney ore. Hematite is one of the most common minerals on the planet and regularly forms in most rocks, adding red colors a variety of stones and minerals. Collectors are often thrilled by the wide variety of crystal shapes that hematite comes in, particularly kidney ore and other deep red botryoidal masses.