Haematite is mostly sourced from Cleator Moor in Cumbria, UK, but it can also be found in the Swiss Alps, USA, Germany, Elba, and Scandinavia. The gem quality of Haematite is black, and sometimes it is shown to have a red streak, and because of this it is often referred to as bloodstone. There is, however, a gem that is properly called bloodstone, and is a variety of chalcedony.

Haematite is a compact form of iron oxide, and it is the hardest form that will be used for jewellery. Haematite is between 5.5 and 6 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

The Mohs scale of hardness was devised by a German mineralogist called Frederich Mohs (1773-1839) in 1812. He selected the ten most commonly readily available minerals to show the difference in hardness of each. The scale runs from 1-10, 1 being the softest, and 10 being the hardest.

THE MOHS SCALE

Talc = 1
Gypsum = 2
Calcite = 3
Fluorite = 4
Apatite = 5
Orthoclase = 6
Quartz = 7
Topaz = 8
Corundum = 9,

and this includes sapphire and ruby, and they are twice as hard as topaz, even though it is only one number more on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Diamond = 10

thereby being the hardest mineral mined. It is four times harder than corundum, even though it is only one number more on the Mohs scale of hardness.