Hematite

Hematite is the mineral form of Iron oxide. It is a very common mineral, colored black to steel or silver-gray, brown to reddish brown, or red.

It is, essentially, a rock with metallic properties including a metallic sheen and magnetism.

Significance

Hematite Ring

Jon & Ro Reddick both have wedding bands of solid hematite.

Rather than the customary bands of precious metals & stones, they chose hematite for several reasons:

The rings, like a relationship, can be very fragile and have to be cared for, and serve as a constant reminder of how easily relationships and trust can be broken
Ro studies geology and has a strong affinity for naturally occurring earth elements
Jon & Ro first purchased hematite rings for one another on a vacation cruise to the Bahamas in 1992, years before they were married and liked them so much they decided to use them for their wedding bands
Even factoring in the cost of replacing broken pieces, hematite bands are only a fraction the cost of traditional ones, but have a much higher cool factor

Hematite Scar

Jon has a 1/4" scar on the palm of his left hand on his ring finger from a hematite wedding band breaking while performing a magic trick
Jon & Ro usually purchase replacement rings from small independent rock shops while on vacation to the Gatlinburg, TN area of the Great Smoky Mountains
When replacing a broken ring, the replacement has to be placed on the ring finger by the spouse