Hematites Tabular
Hematites is a mineral with formula Fe₂O₃, in the Óxidos group. This specimen comes from Djebel Nador, Nador, Nador, Oriental, Marruecos and joined the Terrium collection in 2000.
Description
La Navaja. Floater tabular crystal, very thin and elongated, with steely metallic lustre and black-silver reflections.
History of this specimen
It belonged to the collection of Éric Asselborn (EAM), a leading French mineralogist and collector in the last decades of the 20th century. A medical doctor by profession, he devoted much of his life to the study and collecting of minerals. The level of that collection was such that several of its specimens served to identify and describe new species, including his eponym, asselbornite, a uranium-bearing species described in 1983. He authored Les Minéraux, the best-selling mineralogy book in French. Pieces that passed through his hands usually reflect a criterion that goes beyond commercial value, with a focus on preserving, understanding and transmitting. It caught my eye the first time I saw it. And it has a younger sister, piece 0405, much smaller but no less impressive.
About Hematites
Hematite is a mineral with mirror-like lustre, yet when ground it yields a red powder. This duality has been present since ancient times: from iron ore for the metallurgical industry to a stable pigment for rock art.
About the locality
Djebel Nador is a classic locality in northern Morocco, near Melilla, noted for tabular hematite from rhyolite. Exploitation of this small quarry produced much sought-after specimens, often confused with those from Jebel Ouichane.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0173
- Composition
- Fe₂O₃
- Name
- Hematites
- Variety
- Tabular
- Group
- Óxidos
- Category
- Estélites
- Associations
- Calcita
- Mine
- Djebel Nador
- District / Municipality
- Nador
- Province
- Nador
- Region
- Oriental
- Country
- Marruecos
- Size (cm)
- 12.5 x 1.6 x 0.15
- Weight
- 5 g
- Acquired
- 2000
- Ex-collection
- Éric Asselborn
- Etymology
- From the Greek "haima" (blood), for the red colour of its powder or streak, although the mineral occurs as black metallic crystals.
- Quality
- Top
- Value trend
- Al alza
Related specimens
- Acantita (Paramórfica tras Argentita) — Marruecos
- Anatasa — Pakistan
- Andradita (Melanita) — Marruecos
- Apatito — Marruecos
- Aragonito — Marruecos
- Arfvedsonita — Marruecos
- Armalcolita — España
- Azurita — Marruecos