A dark reddish-brown mineral form of iron oxide, historically important as an iron ore and once used as red pigment.
From Greek haematites (bloodstone), from haema (blood) + -ites (stone). Named because it turns water blood-red when polished in a mortar.
Haematite has been prized for 10,000 years—ancient peoples used it as paint, jewelry, and healing stones, and it's still valuable today because most of Earth's mined iron comes from this very mineral.
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