Hematite

$100.00

$40.00 shipping
Seller offers an extended return window of up to 30 days
Ships from USA

'Pencil Ore' has nothing to do with making implements for writing, but is a reflection of the shape of this variety of Hematite when it breaks, or fractures. It only occurs in the compact fibrous form of Hematite, which in larger masses forms the botryoidal 'Kidney Ore'. When these rounded masses are split, the compact fibres which internally radiate from a central core, or point, break to make pointed pencil-like specimens. This particular specimen from the West Cumberland Iron Field in Cumbria, England is actually more like a dagger, but as far as I am aware there is no specific variety called 'dagger ore'.