The
gemstone called hematite is an
opaque stone that polishes to a semi-reflective silvery black, most commonly carved into
beads or
rings, but sometimes
faceted. It's often seen in combination with
onyx which has been dyed to become flat black. As hematite is an
iron ore, large stones are quite
heavy to wear, but attractive. (
Plastic or lighter
metal substitutes are not uncommon either.)
The reddish version of the same mineral is not often worn as jewelry; the name bloodstone encompassed both this red hematite and a type of chalcedony.