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Is it attracted to other magnets or is it itself a magnet?

@a-trilobite it clings to some other rocks oddly and sticks to metal objects . It doesn’t seem to be attracted to other magnets though.

There are two types of magnets: temporary and permanent magnets. Temporary magnets are made magnetic only when next to a permanent magnet and a permanent magnet is always magnetic. It comes down to the material it’s made of and the way the atoms are aligned (magnetism is caused by the alinement of electrons and their electric charges) so I have a few questions-1:what material is the rock made of, 2: what kind of rocks and metal does it pick up and 3: how strong is the magnetism. I know this is a lot of info and questions, but this is interesting as finding a natural magnet is rare

@a-trilobite thanks so much for the information once again. Your knowledge is always much appreciated. I really don’t know what the rock is made of to be honest. I thought limestone/ blue-grey shale as some of my other posts have been this in the past but is it a darker colour and much more smooth. It is attracted to the limestone /shale rocks and in some places will stick right to the side instead of falling to the ground. The rock seems really heavy for its size. It sticks to a bunch of old antiques I have which I believe are brass? It’s doesn’t stick to my fridge really though and seems to almost repel the other magnets. Apologies for my ignorance on all of this, I wish I could provide better information. Thank you again

Thanks for the reply, I saw that it was found in Canada so I believe this is a lodestone, which is found all over the area. Lodestone is the most common naturally occurring magnetic rock, and forms in all types (this looks like sedimentary). It contains the mineral magnetite, which is what causes the rock to have magnetic properties.

Great find, I’d never heard of lodestone and don’t research geology much so it was interesting to look at new fields of science

Thanks so much @a-trilobite . You should start charging $$ for this info you provide. Much appreciated again

Also I forgot to mention-magnetite is a natural permanent magnet so it generates its own magnetic field. It probably sticks to rocks with temporary magnets in them like iron. It could repel other magnets because they have like poles (just a guess) and they can be used as a natural compass with a string attached.

One day I hope to get money by being a professional paleontologist, posts like these are great for finding out new information and testing what you know

@a-trilobite I’d say your knowledge is already at the professional level my friend. I would certainly pay for your expertise. I searched online for places to send pictures (just like this app) and found very little options, especially here in Canada. It’s a valuable and unique service you are providing. Thanks once again !

Thanks, I’m happy to help with your posts