n.
or haematite
Heavy and relatively hard oxide mineral , ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ), that constitutes the most important iron ore because of its high iron content and its abundance.
Much hematite (from the Greek word meaning "blood," for its red colour) occurs in a soft, fine-grained, earthy form called red ocher or ruddle. Red ocher is used as a paint pigment; a purified form, rouge, is used to polish plate glass. The world's largest production comes from the Hamersley Range in western Australia.