Maghemite
Mineral Fe2O3
About it
A strongly magnetic iron oxide with a brown streak, formed as magnetite weathers; it looks like hematite but jumps to a magnet. Common in soils, laterites, and baked clays, but rarely seen as distinct crystals.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Oxide, spinel group
- Formula
- Fe2O3
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5–6
- Specific gravity
- 4.86–4.9
- Streak
- brown
- Lustre
- submetallic, dull
- Crystal system
- Isometric (cubic)
- Colours
- brown, bluish black
- Transparency
- opaque
- Cleavage and fracture
- none
- Magnetic
- Strongly
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.