Hematite is a black or dark grey stone that has a silvery metallic sheen to it. Natural hematite is a form of iron oxide that fractures easily and is quite difficult to form into beads, cabochons, or any other shape. Because of this, almost all "hematite" jewelry components on the market are a actually man-made material known as hematine. The main difference between hematite and hematine: hematine is strongly magnetic, whereas hematite is not.
