Hematite is a mineral with iron. It got its name due to the blood-like color in the powder form. Hematite has many industrial applications and healing benefits.
There are no healing benefits if the seller gives you a mineral of iron other than hematite. You can learn how to tell if Hematite is real or fake to make sure you get the authentic crystal.
Are the Methods to Identify Real or Fake Aquamarine the Same as for Hematite?
When determining real aquamarine authenticity, the methods differ from those used for hematite. For aquamarine, experts look for specific inclusions, color consistency, and clarity.
Hematite, on the other hand, is tested with a streak test to check its color and hardness. Different gemstones require different testing methods.
How to Tell if Hematite is Real or Fake?
There are many ways to find the authenticity of the hematite.
To tell if your hematite is real start by checking the crystal color. Hematite comes in dark black or gray in color, and has a metallic sheen. Some Hematite crystals also have brown, gray, or silver colors. Check if hematite has magnetism. Real hematite feels heavy.
It also has a specific mineral density and luster.
Place of origin and stone size can help you finalize the crystal identity.
You can take a step-by-step approach to find the Hematite authenticity.
1. To Tell if Hematite is Real or Fake, Do the Streak Test
The streak test is an ideal way to find the authenticity of the Hematite crystals.
This test is specific for the Hematite identification as you will always get red powder when you scratch the Hematite crystal.
Some Hematite crystals can have a brown, gray, or silver color on the surface.
It does not change the results of the streak test.
You can take a porcelain tile of white color for the scratch test.
The next step is to put the Hematite crystal on the tile and make a scratch on it.
You can also crush a small piece of the crystal to get a better result.
You can use a hammer to hit the hematite crystal or scratch it with another stone with a high hardness level.
It should give a red powder.
You have a counterfeit crystal if it does not produce a red powder.
If the crystal has a picture of other minerals or iron, it will not give the red streak.
You may get a streak of another color when you have Hematite and Martite combination.
2. To Tell if Hematite is Real or Fake, Look if There Is Magnetism
Hematite has iron in its structure as it consists of iron oxide crystals.
Magnets can exert a minor force on the Hematite through magnetism.
It does not mean you can lift the crystal with the magnetic material.
It can change the direction of the magnet when you hang it with a string.
It also means that you cannot make magnets from Hematite due to the average iron content in the mineral structure.
- Some sellers are selling magnets with the label Hematite. It is impossible to make a strong magnet from Hematite. The magnetic material consists of a mixture of Hematite and some other magnetic materials. Hematite is added to the metallic scrap to give it luster. You can learn how to tell if Hematite is real or fake by finding the level of magnetism in the crystals.
- Hemaline and Hemalyke are materials with high magnetism power. Some sellers call the Hematite because people are familiar with the Hematite name. A magnet has more chances of selling when the seller labels it Hematite. People like to collect Hematite crystals.
- Many materials look like Hematite and have similar properties. Hematine is a mineral that consists of sulfides, Chromium, Nickle, and stainless steel. It is hard to distinguish this material from Hematite because they give a red streak. They also produce a positive result in the magnetism test. There is a minor difference in the magnetism as the Hematine has strong magnetism than the Hematite. You may have to do more than two tests to confirm the Hematite crystal identity.
3. To Tell if Hematite is Real or Fake, Look for Mineral Density
Hematite has a density of 7.9g/cm3.
It means that Hematite crystals will have more weight in s small volume.
Some sellers melt different iron minerals to make the crystal structure with the iron scrap.
This structure may look similar to the Hematite and have the same magnetism.
You can distinguish between authentic Hematite and synthetic ones by checking their weight.
Authentic Hematite crystals should have more weight in less volume.
You can check the weight and volume of the crystal to find the mineral density.
It is also possible to take a reference Hematite crystal to check the authenticity of the other crystals.
You can place the Hematite crystal on your palm to estimate the weight.
You can compare the weight with the crystal of the same volume to confirm the authenticity.
4. To Tell if Hematite is Real or Fake, Look for Luster
Raw Hematite crystals show a particular type of silver luster on the material.
It is easy to distinguish Hematite from other crystals because of its luster.
Luster is one of the important parameters for identifying Hematite.
There are only a few materials that give metallic luster.
Hematite is one of them.
Synthetic materials cannot have the same luster as Hematite as it has peculiar surface properties.
- You will get an earthly luster from the Hematite crystals with a red or brown color.
- Black-colored Hematite crystals will give a luster that has a nearly metallic shine.
- Silver Hematite gives a complete metallic shine. It has a higher luster than the other types of Hematite.
You should also check the crystal weight with the shine to confirm the crystal identity.
Hematite can have a faded shine also.
Sellers try to match the Hematite shine by polishing materials.
Excessive luster does not confirm the crystal identity without additional tests.
Physical features can also help you identify the crystal.
Hematite has many cracks and fractures.
5. To Tell if Hematite is Real or Fake, Check Its Origin
Most people ask about the place of origin to confirm the crystal’s identity.
Some people have other reasons to ask about the place of origin.
It is a great way to establish trust between you and the seller.
Some people ask for the origin’s location to make a connection with the crystal.
They will understand the crystal better when they know the place of the crystal’s origin.
You can find hematite in specialized deposits.
You can find these crystals inside the sedimentary and igneous rocks.
Germany is the source of commercial Hematite as there are polishing hubs in Germany.
Hematite crystals come from England to Germany for polishing.
- There are many Hematite sources in the United States. Lake Superior Region, Alaska, and Arizona are famous for Hematite sources.
- Ouro Preto area of Brazil has many Hematite sources.
- Most of the world’s Hematite supply comes from England.
6. To Tell if Hematite is Real or Fake, Check the Shape of the Hematite
- You can find Hematite in different shapes as people cut them into beads and carvings. You can find large crystals from the market to cut and make the shape you need. Hematite is an opaque crystal as it does not show transparency.
- If you find a crystal in the market with a Hematite label and a high level of transparency, you should not buy it. These crystals are always counterfeit ones. Only a thin layer of Hematite may pass some light.
- You can find Hematite in the market with the name Spectacular Iron Ore. You can identify it with its shiny appearance. These gray crystals have a metallic shine on their surface.
To Summarize: How to Tell if Hematite is Real or Fake
You can find the authenticity of the Hematite crystals with some test and physical feature identification features.
It is crucial to keep some points in mind while you go to buy the Hematite crystals to avoid scams.
- Hematite always gives red powder with the streak test.
- There is a weak magnetism in the Hematite crystals as you cannot use them to make magnets.
- Hematite has a mineral density of 7.9g/cm3. It has more weight in a small volume.
- Hematite crystals can have many types of lusters when the crystals have different colors.
- Place of origin and crystal opacity can also help you confirm the Hematite identity.