Hematite typically leaves a reddish-brown streak on an unglazed porcelain plate.
A mineral’s streak is the color of its powdered form, revealed by rubbing it across a streak plate. Hematite can appear metallic gray, silver-gray, or red in hand specimens, but its consistent reddish-brown powder is a useful identification clue. The name comes from the Greek word haima, meaning blood, referring to the red color of powdered or earthy hematite.
Hematite is iron(III) oxide, Fe₂O₃, and an important iron ore. It forms in many settings, including sedimentary deposits, hydrothermal veins, and soils. Magnetite, another iron oxide, is strongly magnetic and generally produces a black streak, making streak color a helpful way to distinguish the two.