3 Review(s)

Lodestone (also spelled loadstone) is a special type of the mineral magnetite. All varieties of magnetite display signs of magnetism, but of them, only lodestone possesses distinctly north-south polarity. Lodestone and other magnetic iron ores often occur in igneous and metamorphic rocks found around the world. Because it occurs naturally, lodestone has been known for thousands of years. Even the ancients observed that lodestone attracts iron. They pondered this mysterious behavior in their philosophical discussions and writings. The oldest known reference to lodestone’s properties appeared in 600 BC, when the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus noted iron’s attraction to it. Thales attempted to explain the phenomenon through animism, presuming that the lodestone possessed a soul. Other philosophers developed their own theories.