Magnetite

 

Strongly magnetic, this mineral is also known as “lodestone”. It is a common accessory mineral and can be found in banded iron formations. It is named for the locality Magnesia, Greece. A fable ascribes its name to a shepherd named Magnes, who first discovered the mineral on Mount Ida after noticing that the nails of his shoes and the iron ferrule of his staff adhered to the ground.

Mineral Photos courtesy of R.Weller/Cochise College