Magnetite

specimen number:
2102239

location:
Perovskite Hill, Magnet Cove, Arkansas, USA

description:
Lustrous octahedral crystals of magnetite in a cluster with minor attached matrix. Complete all around and in good condition. Good locality example for the species.

Perovskite Hill, situated within the Magnet Cove alkaline igneous complex in Hot Spring County, Arkansas, is a classic mineralogical locality celebrated for its unique alkaline geochemistry. Geologically, the site is characterized by an intrusion of late Cretaceous-aged carbonatites and ultramafic rocks, specifically an unusual rock type known as kimberlite-like mica peridotite. This environment facilitated the formation of exceptionally well-crystallized perovskite, which occurs as sharp, lustrous, black octahedral or cubo-octahedral crystals embedded in a matrix of calcite or altered igneous rock. Historically, while the Magnet Cove district has seen various mining interests for titanium, niobium, and magnetite since the mid-1800s, Perovskite Hill has been primarily recognized as a research and collecting site rather than a major industrial quarry. Significant scientific documentation and specimen recovery reached a peak during the mid-20th century, particularly through the 1940s and 1950s, as the locality provided critical samples for the study of rare-earth-bearing oxide minerals. Today, it remains a high-priority reference site for mineralogists studying the crystallization of alkaline magmas and the specific physical properties of the perovskite mineral group.

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