Mineral · Spinel group
Magnetite
Fe2+Fe3+2O4
Magnetite is the black, strongly magnetic iron oxide, crystallising as octahedra at Bolivia's Cerro Huanaquino, in Utah's Iron Springs district and in Alpine chlorite schists; lodestone is naturally magnetised magnetite. A magnet and a black streak settle the identification. It is common and inexpensive.
| Formula | Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
|---|---|
| IMA status | grandfathered |
| Crystal system | Cubic |
| Mohs hardness | 5.5–6.5 |
| Group | Spinel group |
| Type locality | None (known since antiquity) |
| Streak | Black |
| Specific gravity | 5.2 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Magnetite" (Mineral). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/minerals/magnetite. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-magnetite,
title = {Magnetite},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/minerals/magnetite}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.