Magnetizing Hematite beads

I did a google search and applied the lessons learned, but alas I
failed.

My goal was to magnetize some Chinese hematite beads.

I strung them on a piece of binding wire with magnetized disks on
each end, all beads were believed to be touching, a continuous chain
from magnet to magnet. The magnets on the end were in correct
polarity. The beads were heated in my burnout oven to 1500 degrees,
somewhat beyond the Curie temperature of hematite which I think is
680 Degrees Celsius or 1276 F. I allowed them to soak for about an
hour at that temp. They did not magnetize.

Suggestions? My wife bought the beads and wants to make an ankle
bracelet to ease her aching knees.

Ben, True hematite is non magnetic, although some of it’s simulants
will be affected by a magnet. Maybe you were thinking of magnetite
as being a magnetic ore of iron? Jerry in Kodiak

One thing that probably happened was that you destroyed the two disk
magnets completely, since you probably also exceeded their Curie
points. To magnetize susceptible materials (if the Earth is any
example) you need to heat the material to a high point and then cool
it gradually within a strong magnetic field imposed from outside the
heating arena. Thus iron minerals in basalt magmas are magnetized
with a specific polarity because the rocks have cooled while in the
earth’s magnetic field. You would have to cool your materials by
placing the (shut-off) furnace in a strong magnetic field imposed
from far enough away that the heat didn’t affect it.

Tas
www.earthlywealth.com

I think that your problem stems from the probability that the beads
are not Hematite but rather a man made material called Hematine, this
has been the preferred bead material for quite a while, and is very
widely misrepresented as being Hematite, The magnetic beads which
swept the country several years ago, and do look like Hematite or
Hematine are neither they are made from Neyodymium, which looks very
much like Hematite or Hematine. I believe you can still buy the beads
from many bead shops and quite often at larger “flea markets and
craft shows” I wore them on my wrist for quite some time and I think
there may have been some degree of relief form arthritic pain.

Kenneth Ferrell

G’day. By heating the magnetic discs you probably destroyed their
magnetism.

I have suggestions; Firstly I am not too sure that haematite can
be magnetised; I have no personal experience of it; I just am not
sure. If they can be magnetised, thread the beads on a wire and
ensure that they are forced tightly together. Take a powerful
permanent magnet and pass it along the taut string several times in
one direction only. Bring a compass near the string to detect if
the beads have retained magnetism (a cheap toy compass is sufficient
as a detector)

They could be placed inside a long coil of wire and an electric
current momentarily passed through the coil, then tested with the
compass.

I have magnetised items by placing them between the poles of a
converted transformer - take out the U and I iron, remove the
secondary coil and place the irons back in the primary of the
transformer and apply a DC electric current across the leads for no
more than a second.

To demagnetise items such as screwdrivers, cassette tapes video
tapes, energise the coil with an AC current and slowly withdraw the
item from the magnetic field. I made a bulk tape eraser like that.
I used it in the days (long gone) of semi professional video tape
to wipe 8 inch diameter reels of 1 inch wide tape. But you have to
be quick and cut off the power before the wires start smoking!

I am sceptic about the efficacy of wearing magnetic bands to
relieve arthritis - and I suffer from that quite badly; it never
worked for me (neither did 8 sessions of acupuncture).

Cheers for now,
JohnB of Mapua, Nelson NZ

 My wife bought the beads and wants to make an ankle bracelet to
ease her aching knees. 

The Bottom Line from Quackwatch

There is no scientific basis to conclude that small, static magnets
can relieve pain or influence the course of any disease. In fact,
many of today’s products produce no significant magnetic field at or
beneath the skin’s surface.

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