# What is my ring? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2002, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-ring/129228 "2002-09-23T04:11:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-ring/129228/1 "2002-09-23T04:11:06Z")
I have a ring that I got at the Horshoe Curve in Altoona, PA. It is black and very shiney. It is almost iridescent, it is so shiney. It is solid all the way around. I think I was told it is a bi-product of coal. Does anybody know what it is?😕 ---
**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-ring/129228/2 "2002-09-23T05:15:10Z")
Does it look anything like [this](http://www.andybaird.com/travels/first/photos/hematite_ring.jpg) ? OR [this ?](http://www.vrockshop.com/3MMRING9.JPG) If yes, then it is hematite. “True Hematite, a black silvery stone, is quite heavy. It has known favor amongst royalty since Egyptian and Greek days. Named after the Greek “haima” for blood, it will streak red when rubbed against a harder substance. When faceted, known as a “black diamond”. Unlike Lodestone, Hematite is not magnetic.” Read more details (some mythical) at [http://www.luckygemstones.com/hematite-jewelry-black-shiny-stones.htm](http://www.luckygemstones.com/hematite-jewelry-black-shiny-stones.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-ring/129228/3 "2002-09-23T05:16:18Z")
I suspect it’s jet. Jet is a very hard type of coal that takes a good polish. ---
**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-ring/129228/4 "2002-09-23T05:22:15Z")
Here’s a description of [jet](http://www.luckygemstones.com/jet-jewelry-black-mourning-gem.htm) from the same site that **andy\_fl** linked to. The reason I’d suspect it’s jet rather than hematite is because of your comment re coal. ---
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-ring/129228/5 "2002-09-23T12:39:05Z")
It is definitely “hematite”. I must have gotten the coal thing because there was a lot of coal there; but there was a lot of iron ore, too. Can I ask something off topic? . . . . or should I make a new topic? How do you people make something blue and suddenly, you can go to some site. Also how can you make a website address blue and you can click on it and you can go there? One more thing while I am on a role. How can you take something someone else has said and hightligh it in a sort of white box, to show it is a quote? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-ring/129228/6 "2002-09-23T12:52:36Z")
[**What Is vB Code?**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/misc.php?s=&action=bbcode) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-ring/129228/7 "2002-09-23T12:55:14Z")
You mean hyperlinks? [Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/misc.php?action=bbcode) is a page that details how to use vBcodes in your posts. Or click the ‘quote’ button immediately below this post and you’ll see how I constructed the above link. Or (as opposed to using the quick reply box) click the ‘Post Reply’ button and you will be given a proper post editing screen with a button (with the legend ‘Http://’) that allows easy creation of links.