MAGNETITE. Balmat Mine, Fowler Orebody, St. Lawrence Co., New York, USA. ... (Total: 2 Items)

Description

MAGNETITE
Balmat Mine, Fowler Orebody, St. Lawrence Co., New York, USA

Magnetite and Hematite, both of which are Iron Oxides, represent a major proportion of the Iron ores smelted to provide the steel that our civilization depends upon. The vast percentage of these ores do not appear in any kind of crystals and, in fact, huge deposits are nothing more than the heavy portion of dune sand. When crystals are encountered, they are almost always Hematite masquerading as Magnetite and usually taking the form of octahedrons. As the name implies, Magnetite is not only magnetic, it is the most magnetic of naturally occurring minerals, and the naturally magnetized version of it, capable of attracting Iron filings and compass needles, is the mineral we call Lodestone. Large, sharp and lustrous crystals of Magnetite are actually somewhat rare and, for this reason, highly prized. The Zinc Corporation of America - ZCA for short, has been mining in upstate New York for decades and, in the course of those operations, has encountered parts of various ore bodies with open cavities containing Magnetite crystals of high perfection and luster. Most examples feature crystals not exceeding 0.5 inch (1.25 cm) on edge. This very large specimen is composed of hundreds of shining, black cubes up to 1 inch (2.54 cm) on edge, arranged in a random fashion. Many of the crystals show rare tetra-hexahedral faces: something not normally seen. Several cubes show inclusions of an unidentified white mineral, but the vast majority are darkly splendent and virginal. On the backside, there are a couple of places where the group was probably attached to a cavity wall. Otherwise, the group is free of attachments. The specimen comes with a custom acrylic base. See the 360 degree video of this specimen that is available online.
Overall Measurements: 9.50 x 4.50 x 2.50 inches (24.10 x 11.40 x 6.40 cm)
Offered at no reserve.

Provenance: Williams Minerals [Hoppel #D0836]
[360o video]

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